I learned to make soup the French way

Growing up I watched my mother make soup and it always looked like it took a lot of time and was difficult to do. Forget that, here is an easy foolproof way of soup making.

Take any vegetable, carrot, zuccini, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus or parsnips and put into a soup pot with onions and potatoes. Depending on quantity, I usually add one large or two small potatoes peeled and cubed to 6 carrots or 4 zuccini or a whole cauliflower, broccoli or bunch of asparagus or 6 parsnips. I also add one or two onions cut into chunks and cover with water and a bio bouillon cube, either chicken or vegetable and cook away.

Cook until all the items are tender, season with salt and pepper. Now here is where it gets personality, add cumin to the carrot soup, bleu cheese to the brocolli soup, curry powder to the cauliflower (just a pinch) granny smith apple to the parsnips and your imagination to the others. Put the tenderly cooked veg into a blender or use your emulsion blender right in the pot until smooth. Add cream or not, as you wish. The soup should be thick, smooth and delicious.

To go with the soup, I like to make croutons out of sourdough bread.  You can make them out of any bread but it is best if the bread is a bit stale. 

Cut the bread into one inch squares.  Heat two tablespoons of olive oil and a small knob of butter in a frying pan and when hot add the bread.  Toss it around for about 5-10 minutes until it is lightly toasted on all sides.  Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with the soup.  Declicious.

I am so fussy about my olive oil and sea salt, this is what I use.

Winter is coming, time to make soup............

A la prochaine