Trial & Error Vegetable Soup

My family and I love homemade vegetable soup so it was always going to be one of the first things I tried on the Aga. I tend to do some cooking by eye so there are not specific measurements for all items listed.  This also helps adapt the recipe to what your family likes and what is available to you.
The basic ingredients I use are:

• 1 large or 2 small onions chopped
• 3 carrots peeled and sliced
• 3 large or 5 smaller potatoes peeled and chopped (if using new potatoes I wash and chop a few handfuls but don't peel them)
• 2 pints vegetable stock made with stock cubes
• A teaspoon of tomato puree
• Seasoning and vegetable oil

These ingredients will make a basic vegetable soup but things I also add are: tomatoes (just chop a handful), Mushrooms (wiped and chopped) and Parsnips (peeled and chopped) although my husband doesn't like these so I just don't tell him what's in it. I have no idea of the nutritional elements of this recipe but its a good way to get my family to eat some of their 5 a day.

METHOD

Put the onions and a tablespoon, approximately, of vegetable oil in a pan. Mix to cover the onions with the oil, as unlike a conventional hob they won't be stirred. Put the lid on the pan and put in the top (roasting) oven with the grid shelf on the oven floor for 10 mins to soften. They may need another 5 mins or so but this is where the trial and error name comes in.

The other ingredients could now be prepared whilst waiting for the onions to cook. Take the onions out of the Aga and put on a heatproof surface, remembering the lid and especially the handle will stay hot. Stir in the tomato puree and add the rest of the vegetables. Stir and add the stock and seasoning. I just use salt and pepper and a sprinkling of dried mixed herbs. Put the lid back on.  

Now comes the trial and error part. When I made this, I put the grid shelf on the floor of the simmering oven and put the soup in for 25 mins. When I got it out, it was obvious that it hadn't cooked at all, so I then put it on the hotplate to bring to the boil and then put it in the simmering oven for another 25 mins. It was then cooked. Depending on the thickness of the vegetables, it may need another 10 mins or so, but it won't burn or boil over like it may on the top of the stove, so just check it every 10 mins, and use a knife to test the softness of the vegetables.

I then leave the soup to cool very slightly before using my hand held blender to make it smooth, although the kids always manage to find a piece of potato or carrot in their bowl. You can eat it straight away or let it cool completely and keep it in the fridge to be heated and eaten the next day if you want to make it in advance. It should be fine if kept in the fridge for a couple of days.

Enjoy :)

 

I came up with this recipe myself, and I hope that you also enjoy it. So far, I have made it quite a few times as it is great to serve friends and family if they are coming round for a quick lunch. I especially like grated cheese sprinkled on top of this soup, but feel free to mix it up. Sometimes I add a couple of handfuls of washed, dried, red lentils which I add with the bulk of the vegetables. If you have any questions or want to send me a picture of your soup, my social media links are below. This can be made on a conventional hob by frying the onion and then adding the rest of the ingredients and simmering for about 20 mins.

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