Soups

When you’re sensitive, soup is the best food: gentle on the digestive system and yet, if properly prepared, “a meal in a bowl.’ Using this principle, we recommend extras to serve with the soups for a complete meal; just add or leave out whatever you like. Making your own stock is a must. Most store-bought stock cubes are MSG-, wheat-, yeast-, salt-, and additive-laden, a lethal cocktail for the body. But don’t worry, getting a stockpot together is really easy; once you have it up and going, delicious soups will be the order of the day.

Veggie Stock

THE key to good soups (apart from buying the best and, as much as possible, organic, ingredients) is the stock; a good homemade stock is a must for those of us with food sensitivities. MSG (monosodium glutamate), the flavor enhancer used in most stock cubes and in hundreds of processed foods, is hell on a sensitive system. Making your own stock might seem like a Victorian impossibility—in reality it’s easy. The bonus is that once you have a stockpot started, you can just keep adding to it as you go along.

2 onions (with skin still on) chopped in half

1 leek, chopped in half

1 large carrot

2-3 outer leaves of cabbage

2-3 winter/spring greens

1 stick celery

2 cloves garlic (with skin still on), chopped in half

1 bouquet garni (bay leaves/thyme/parsley/sage/rosemary)

6 cups water

• Scrub your vegetables and remove any dirty bits.
• Put them all into a medium-sized saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Cover in cold water, bring to the boil, and let the ingredients simmer away merrily while you make the soup (a good stock needs a minimum of 30 minutes to get all the flavors from the veggie). Be creative, use whatever veggies are seasonal and at hand. Your stockpot, if kept in a cold place, will last up to 10 days with you adding more vegetables to keep up the intensity of the flavor.

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 4 CUPS

Young Fava Bean and Creamy Yogurt Soup

SOUPS are so simple and easy, we tend to live off them during winter when all you want is warm comfort food. However, Fava Bean Soup is best eaten midsummer, when the first tender fava beans are first available, and it can be eaten all the way into early fall. Fava beans are at their best when they’re young, but if you can get only the ancient leathery variety, peel the tough gray outer skin after they’re cooked—a labor of love, but worth it if you have the time and patience!

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups fava beans, de-podded

5 cups Veggie Stock (page 77)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh organic bio-live natural yogurt for garnish

1 tablespoon fresh parsley for garnish

• Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 6-8 minutes or until soft. Add the beans and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock to the onion, garlic, and beans. (If you want to, you can use a cup of yogurt in place of 1 cup of stock.) Season generously.
• When cooked, blend until smooth. Put the saucepan back on the heat and cook for another 5 minutes to reduce the stock.
• Serve in 4 bowls with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of parsley. This is a very delicate soup, so I’d go without bread, but you could have a Cheese and Chive Scone (page 158) as an accompaniment.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Sweet Tomato and Basil Soup with Pesto Crostini

EVERY recipe we’ve ever read for tomato soup agrees that without liberal quantities of sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes the soup is not worth making; we disagree! If the soup is properly cooked, the tomatoes release their own flavor, making a very sweet soup. Though we find tomato soup pretty strong, one small bowl and a heap of Pesto Crostini make a very acceptable meal, especially in the hot summer.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

2 8-ounce cans of tomato, chopped

1 cup Veggie Stock (page 77)

1 tablespoon fresh basil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 quantity Bruschetta (page 59)

½ quantity Green Basil Pesto (page 172)

1 tablespoon organic bio-live natural yogurt

• Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes without allowing to brown. Add the tomatoes, stock, and basil, stir, and season generously. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
• A few minutes before the soup is cooked make the Bruschetta. Smear each Bruschetta with a large dollop of the Green Basil Pesto to make Pesto Crostini.
• Remove the soup from the heat and blend to a smooth consistency. Return to the heat, add the yogurt, and warm to serving temperature.
• Serve in 4 beautiful bowls with 2 Pesto Crostini beside each.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Blazing Salads Soup

LENTIL soup, for that is what this recipe is, may not seem all that inspiring, but it is wonderfully gentle comfort food. Very subtle, it’s perfect when you are very sensitive. Lentil soup is also great because, stalwart of vegetarians for decades, most meat eaters—who wouldn’t normally dream of eating anything veggie—will happily scarf this up! In the notes on this recipe there’s attempt No. 1 with the words “Disaster, even the dogs wouldn’t touch it” and then attempt No. 2 “Yay!” Here’s No. 2, dedicated in loving memory to that gem Blazing Salads, the best alternative restaurant in Dublin and a savior when all other food avenues were dark.

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup red lentils

1 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary and parsley, chopped

5 cups water or Veggie Stock (page 77)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cheese and Chive Scones (page 158)

• Put the onion, garlic, carrot, and olive oil into a saucepan on medium heat. Sauté for 7-8 minutes without allowing them to brown.
• Now add the lentils, spices, herbs, and stock and season generously. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat. Cover the saucepan with a lid and leave to simmer-cook for 20-25 minutes.
• Now is the time to make the scones. The soup is cooked when the lentils are disintegrating. When it has reached this point, blend until creamy smooth, adjust the seasoning, and serve with your freshly made Cheese and Chive Scones.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Allium Soup

THE allium family covers leeks, onions, chives, and garlic, all stuffed with health-giving properties, not to mention their taste-giving properties. And all are included in this delightful soup; soft, sweet, and gentle, it can be eaten by anybody and enjoyed by all.

2 teaspoons organic butter

1 large potato, peeled and chopped

2 onions, peeled and sliced

2 leeks, roots cut off and chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 cups Veggie Stock (page 77)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Homemade French Fries (page 50)

Cheese and Chive Scones (page 158)

1 tablespoon organic bio-live natural yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the chopped potatoes, onions, leeks, garlic, and a healthy dash of olive oil. Toss to ensure everything is well covered. Sauté with the lid on for 9-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure that it doesn’t burn.
• When all looks soft and golden, add the stock and season generously. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
• While the soup is cooking make your French Fries or Cheese and Chive Scones. When everything is soft, remove the soup from the heat and blend until completely smooth.
• Serve piping hot with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkle of chives, and the French Fries or Cheese and Chive Scones.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Bacon and Cabbage Soup

THIS is similar to an Italian recipe where a piece of beef is used to flavor a sauce then removed when the sauce is cooked. We take the bacon out before we blend the soup. Bacon and Cabbage Soup is a new twist on that most maligned combination of Irish cooking; don’t be put off, just try it. The bacon adds an amazing salty depth to an already tasty soup.

2 onions, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 piece organic bacon

freshly ground black pepper

1 small cabbage, sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 teaspoon organic butter

6 cups Veggie Stock (page 77)

Homemade French Fries (page 50)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

• Sauté the onions with the olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat.
• When the onions have turned pale gold, put the piece of bacon on top and season generously with pepper (there’s no need for salt as the bacon provides plenty). Cook for several minutes.
• Now add the cabbage and garlic, topped with the butter. Stir to ensure everything is coated and cook for another few minutes. Then add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for another 12-15 minutes. If you are making French Fries, now is the time to cook them.
• When the soup is cooked through, remove from the heat and take out the piece of bacon. Blend the soup until smooth.
• Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and perhaps a portion of Homemade French Fries.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Mulligatawny (Spicy Chicken Soup)

THIS is the most scrumptious chicken soup you’ll ever find. From India (mulla ga tani—pepper water), it was a favorite with the British during the days of the Raj. And it is pepper water, hot and spicy, so don’t devour the whole pot if you’re very sensitive.

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 good-sized chicken breasts, sliced into ¼-inch strips

4 cardamom pods

4 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

4 curry leaves

12 whole coriander seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 cups Veggie Stock (page 77)

Chapati (page 160)

a bowl organic bio-live yogurt

• Gently fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until soft and golden, say 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile slice the chicken.
• Now add all the spices to the onion and garlic mixture. Mix well and cook for several minutes longer. Next, add the chicken pieces and stir again to coat the chicken in the spices. Cook for several more minutes, turning the chicken until browned on all sides. Season generously.
• The last thing to go in is the stock. Then cook on a simmering heat for 30-35 minutes. While the soup is cooking, make the Chapati.
• Once thoroughly cooked and smelling scrumptious, take off the heat, remove the cinnamon stick and liquidize, or serve chunky. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Serve with Chapati on the side and a bowl of natural yogurt. Oh yeah . . .

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Basic Chicken Stock

CHICKEN soup is definitely food for the soul—and body, and mind—but to get the Chicken soup hit, you have to make the stock yourself. Just take the carcass of the chicken you and your loved ones have just devoured, plus any bones left over, put all into a saucepan with lots of nice vegetables (the same ones you would use for Veggie Stock). Bring to a boil and simmer for as long as possible (an hour is about the minimum, 2 to 3 hours is even better).

1 chicken carcass and bones

2 onions (with skin still on) chopped in half

1 leek, chopped in half

1 large carrot

2-3 outer leaves cabbage/2-3 winter/spring greens

1 stick celery/several leaves lovage

2 garlic cloves (with skin still on), chopped in half

1 bouquet garni(bay leaves/thyme/parsley/sage/rosemary)

6 cups water

• Put the chicken carcass in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
• Scrub the vegetables and remove any dirty bits. Put them all into the pan with the garlic and bouquet garni. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil and let simmer.
• Remove any scum that rises to the surface and allow to cool. Once cool, remove the fat from the surface, and voila, your very own, delicious chicken stock that can be frozen for later use.

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 4 CUPS

French Onion Soup

FRENCH Onion Soup is a classic and this version from Bordeaux will have them begging for more. Onions are the most wonderful food, long valued in country medicine for helping to cure everything from colds to rheumatism. This soup rests entirely on the quality of the onions and the stock, so make sure you have the best possible. Organic onions can be bought in most supermarkets and they really are worth eating, unlike their nonorganic counterparts. If you’re sensitive to eggs, just leave the egg yolk out.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

4 cups Veggie Stock (page 77)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Farls (page 156)

yolk of 1 free-range egg

1 tablespoon chives, chopped, for garnish

• Warm the olive oil over medium heat. Then gently sauté the onions and garlic, with the saucepan lid on, until soft and transparent—be very careful not to let the onions burn.
• After 8-10 minutes add the stock. Season generously cover again with the lid, and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes. While the soup is cooking, make the Farls.
• When the time is up, remove the saucepan from the heat and liquidize. In a small bowl beat the egg yolk, then slowly add a ladleful of the soup to the egg; go slowly, so you don’t curdle it.
• Now pour the egg mixture back into the soup, and mix gently. Warm slowly, not allowing to boil.
• Pour into 4 bowls, garnish with the chives, and serve with a Farl.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Cock-a-leekie Soup

“COCK-A-LEEKIE” (cock/hen cooked with leeks) is from Scotland, where they know a thing or two about keeping out winter wet and cold. We make this soup post-Roast Chicken (page 130) when we have all the ingredients on hand—cold chicken and oodles of chicken stock—to make a delightful feast. The key to making this soup delicious is the stock: make your own.

2 onions, peeled and sliced

2 good-sized/4 small leeks, roots cut off, washed, and chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon organic butter

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups Chicken Stock (page 84)

Farls (page 156)

1 cup cooked chicken meat

• Follow the usual soup-making steps: scrub, peel, and chop your veggies and sauté in olive oil until golden and translucent. Add the butter, the cooked chicken, and season generously. Stir and cook for another minute or so.
• Now add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and cook gently for 15-20 minutes.
• While the soup is cooking, make your Farls. It’s up to you whether or not you want the soup liquidized or not. To liquidize, simply blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Luke’s Potato and Carrot Soup

TsHIS is a wonderful winter soup, gentle on the digestion and delicious to boot.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 scallions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

3 onions, peeled and chopped

1 large potato, peeled and chopped

4 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons butter

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups Veggie Stock (page 77)

Homemade French Fries (page 50)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

• Over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the scallions, garlic, and onion. Sauté on a gentle to medium heat for 5 minutes, making sure they don’t stick or burn.
• Now add the potato and carrots. Stir well, add one teaspoon of butter, and season generously.
• Next, add the stock and swirl in the second teaspoon of butter. If you’re making French Fries, now is the time to put them on.
• Adjust the seasoning. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, until all the veggies are really soft.
• Remove from the heat and blend. Serve immediately with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkle of parsley, and perhaps a Farl or Cheese and Chive Scone (page 158).

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Libby’s Sweet Soup

If after perfecting Luke’s delicious Potato and Carrot Soup you want to try a variation, try replacing the potato with I large or 2 small parsnips, peeled and chopped, for a delicious, super-sweet soup. We need to say a big thank-you to the superchef who provided this variation: thanks, Libby!

Chickpea Soup with Lime Cream

LIKE a lot of our soups, Chickpea Soup is heavenly comfort food, perfect when you need to eat simply. However, it can be happily dolled up to suit any occasion with the addition of the lime cream—it gives me a warm feeling just thinking about it! You’ll notice this recipe is very similar to Blazing Salads Soup, with a few changes. And a confession: I borrowed the idea of using a lime cream to pep up the soup from another of our favorite books, The New Cranks Recipe Book by Nadine Abensur. Thanks!

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound cooked chickpeas, junk-free

2 teaspoons each ground cumin and coriander

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary and parsley, chopped

5 cups water or Veggie Stock (page 77)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cheese and Chive Scones (page 158)

2 tablespoons organic bio-live natural yogurt

1 lime, juiced

a pinch cayenne pepper

• Sauté the onion, garlic, in the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat for 7-8 minutes without allowing them to brown.
• Now add the chickpeas, spices, herbs, and stock. Season generously, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover the saucepan with a lid and leave to simmer for 20-25 minutes.
• Now you can make your scones. Also, make the Lime Cream by mixing the yogurt and lime juice.
• The soup is cooked when the chickpeas are disintegrating. When the soup has reached this point, blend until creamy smooth. Adjust the seasoning and pour into 4 bowls. Serve with a dollop of the lime cream on top, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, and the Cheese and Chive Scones.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS