Soup. It’s the ultimate comfort food right? There is nothing like curling up with a big bowl of hot soup when you’re cold/wet and hungry. Plus it’s an awesome way of getting some of your 5 a day without all the bother of chewing and other energy draining activities. I’m talking proper homemade soup here people, not instant soup. Ack. I used to work with a woman who ate instant broccoli soup every day at 4pm. Dear me it stank…. Moving on.
If you want to read about the gloriousness of soup can I direct you to Phil’s post on it? She says it so much better than I can.
Meanwhile there is a very important ingredient for homemade soup and that’s homemade stock. Don’t use those funny yellow little stock cubes unless you really are in a hurry or have nothing to make the stock from. Make big batches of proper stock and freeze it in smaller (half a litre) portions for future use.
Readers, this may seem like the most boring recipe post ever posted on the interwebz but listen to me. Good homemade stock will transform your food from really good to awesome. This much I promise so bear with me.
Firstly let me address the meat eaters, because I am not one for discrimination (squeamish veggies may want to turn away now – I worked in catering and went to culinary school for too long to be squeamish anymore – one day I’ll tell you about the lobsters running about the college kitchen). Chicken stock is easy to make. Next time you roast a chicken stick the carcass in a big pot and cover it in boiling water and simmer on the stovetop for about 4 hours along with a handful of rosemary. Remove chicken and there you have it, perfect chicken stock. Your house will stink of a glue factory but your cooking will be faultless. You can do the same with the Christmas turkey (you may need a bigger pot) but don’t try it with goose or duck, you will just get a pot of grease.
OK now the horrible bit is over.
Lots of my recipes require vegetable stock. Risottos, soups, stews. And I keep promising a recipe and here it is. The Suburban Yogini’s tried and tested veggie stock recipe. Listen very carefully.
Chop up and onion and a couple of carrots. Put them in your stock pot (or any really big pan) and cover with 2 litres (4 pints) of water. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and add a bay leaf, a handful of fresh parsley and a couple of sprigs of thyme. Allow to simmer for 2 hours. Let it cool down and then strain the stock of all the bits, put into suitable containers and freeze or refrigerate, depending on when you’re going to use it.
Do it when you have time, you’ll never regret it!
Do you make your own stock? I’d love to hear your recipes!
I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never made stock, I’ve always used these horrible little cubes for my risotto for lack of time (ok, this and also because I couldn’t be bothered). But your recipe sounds so much better, and I could make it in the weekend to use it the following week, so no more excuses for me
I havent made my own stock before, but it sounds like I need to!