Tips and tricks to making a superb pot of Vegetable Soup

You don’t have to feel obliged to stick to a recipe when it comes to soup. You can turn almost any vegetable into delicious soup with just a few steps.

Here are a few tips to making the perfect pot of soup:

Brown and roast the vegetables

You want to add some colour to vegetables by either roasting them in the oven for 40 minutes, until golden, or browning them in a pot on the stove. This will not only add colour but contributes an intensified flavour.

Fresh herbs

Fresh herbs such as bay leaves, thyme and basil will add a fragrant aroma and taste to your dish far more than that of dried herbs and spices.

Stock

You want to use a stock that is not harsh in flavour and won’t mask the natural flavour of the vegetables used. If you don’t have homemade stock on hand, you can add 1 litre of water, 1 bay leaf, salt and peppercorns to your roasted vegetables instead. This will allow your vegetables to be the star of the show and not the flavour of a shop-bought soup mix.

Garnish

To serve your soup you can garnish with a drizzle of fresh cream, or use green herbs like parsley or coriander to add a pop of colour. You can also make croutons from stale bread to add some crunch and texture.

If you need some inspiration for a hearty vegetable soup, try this recipe or use any vegetables you have in the fridge.

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Vegetable Soup Recipe

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Recipe by Robyn Brittow Course: SoupsCuisine: GlobalDifficulty: Easy

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Servings

4

Total time

50

minutes

Ingredients

• 4 carrots, chopped

• 4 potatoes, chopped

• 1/2 butternut, chopped

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 pepper, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves

• 2 2bay leaves

• 5 sprigs of thyme

• A drizzle of olive oil

• 2 litres of water

• peppercorns

• salt

• parsley to serve

• croutons to serve

Method

• In a pan, add the oil and brown the carrots, potatoes, butternut, onions, garlic and pepper. Season with the bay leaf, thyme, salt and peppercorns.
• Once all the vegetables have taken on a beautiful brown colour you can add the water. Simmer the soup for 40 minutes.
• When the vegetables are tender, you can blend the mix to a consistency you prefer.
• Add the blended soup back to the pot and heat.
• Serve with parsley and croutons.

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