John's Winter Vegetable Soup

johnthefatman

This is a modernised version of what every Scotsman's granny called Tattie Soup. The quantities of veg and choice of veg can be varied to taste - I regard leek onion potato and carrot as essential I always add swede (yellow turnip) as well. I have used left over cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower as well just use any you have.

I watch sodium very carefully and have looked long and hard at all the stock/bouillon cubes/pastes and have at last found one with a reasonable sodium level - see below - but if you aren't watching sodium use any you like or make your own from a chicken carcass (even better)

Ingredients (weights all aaprox peeled weight) server 4 - 6 at < 100 cals per serving

8 oz potatoes peeled and chunked
8 oz carrots peeled and sliced
6 oz swede chunked
1 med leek sliced
1 med onion sliced
0.5 tsp white pepper
1 dried birdseye chilli
stock made to 1 litre
1 bouquet garni
bay leaf
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs good oil olive or groundnut

Method
Heat the oil in large pan and add the leek and onion fry gently on medium heat for a couple of minutes till they just begin to soften then throw in all the other veg and put a lid on, turn the heat right down and let the veg sweat for 10 mins stirring occasionally.
Add stock and herbs and seasonings bring to a steady simmer cover and leave to cook till all veg soft (30 - 40 minutes) add more boiling water if required and skim any frothy gunge.

Finishing
If you want chunky soup then chop the veg initially to a fairly even small dice. I like it smooth so I use a blender (remove bouquet garni) or for a medium texture just use a potato masher to break down the lumps.

I used Heinz Organic Chicken Stock Cubes that give me a litre of stock for 200 mg sodium - I also have in front of me Knorr Stock Pots - the trendy jellied pots that would give me a litre with an astonishing 4500 mg of sodium!

julest25

Sounds like a delicious soup. Can't believe the salt content of the stock cubes! Thanks for this.

odditblue

I can't wait to try it! I absolutely love soups and stews. My bunch gets tired of them after a while, but I could live on soup.
Glad to know about the stock cubes too. I'll go back to cooking my own stock again. It may take longer, but it seems to be a lot healthier than the cubes I've been using in a hurry.

pearly0505

made this today, was wonderful. i swapped out potatoes for parsnips as im low carbing =]
it was georgeous, as its just me and my partner we had a bowl for lunch each and the rest will go in a flask for him to take paintballing tomorrow =]

CALIECAT

hi pearly . sound like a good soup. Will have to make some next week I think I will sub cauliflower i don't know much about parnipes for potatoes

arewethereyet

hi pearly . sound like a good soup. Will have to make some next week I think I will sub cauliflower i don't know much about parnipes for potatoes

Calie! I love your AV!!

Tagging this for later..........love a yummy soup

boniekatie

Can't wait to try it.

rosembailey

I made my own stalk last week from turkey. I found it wasn't salty enough for me.
I wonder if my taste buds are used to canned soups. I don't make homemade soup much at all because it never tastes as good as canned to me.
I will try this one.
Thanks

jbootman

THANK YOU SO MUCH:flowerforyou:

I too am watching my sodium, I just lose more when I am not retaining water,

and of course there is the salty sugar fried food spiral,

I had sworn off soups even the homemade kind until your post,

I am going to get some of this Heinz stuff and get cooking, it may be winter someday-I live in Southern California where it is always 72 degrees with clear skies, and my past winters have been filled with soups and chilies,

I was very sad to think of them gone, now it looks like I just will have to Heinz them, they are otherwise fine, it was the sodium from the stock that was a problem,

may you lose 10 pounds this week eating cake and pie, again thank you so much for your post

CALIECAT

hi pearly . sound like a good soup. Will have to make some next week I think I will sub cauliflower i don't know much about parnipes for potatoes

Calie! I love your AV!!

Howdy long time MFP Good hearing from you.

Tagging this for later..........love a yummy soup

jbootman

curse you, not really, Heinz Cubes are not available in fat America, yet again the UK rules, sorry I am an unashamed UKophile, actually I like most everything across the pond, I digress, I have written to Heinz, for now I will find a substitute, I think Knorr can be found in our stores here and they make a low sodium cube, but I am hoping that Heinz will come through,

the population of the entire US is addicted to salty sweet fried fat, we here are just the ones trying hard to do something about it,

bravo to all who are working to improve our diets and health

johnthefatman

I think those Heinz cubes are pretty new on the market in the UK too - I've never seen them before - there's a veg variety too. Stock cubes in general are just so salty its scary - I am sure there are Lower Sodium offerings from the likes of Knorr but I haven't come across them.
Parsnips instead of potato sounds good - if you like heat then some more chillies - one birdseye is just enough to give it a low glow.
J

pearly0505

i used bullion powder to make my stock as its the lowest sodium / carb available =]