Nothing beats a piping hot bowl of soup to fend off the chill on a bitter winter’s day – or when you’re nursing a cold as the months turn crisp.
Producing your own batch at home is not only a clever way to cut down on expenses but also an excellent strategy to make the most of those lingering bits and pieces in your refrigerator, curbing food waste into the bargain.
Plus, nothing quite compares with the self-satisfied contentment of savouring a robust homemade dish during the fall and winter seasons. A culinary expert has spilled the beans on the trifecta of essential elements that promise the most delectable taste and foolproof blueprint for crafting that ideal warming concoction in your own kitchen.
Food and flavour expert and founder of The Gift of Oil, Phil Bianchi, said: “The key elements to a great soup recipe are dairy, vegetables and stock. As long as you have those three key ingredients, no matter the variation, you’ll be guaranteed a good soup full of flavour.”
Phil even underscored how accommodating and adaptable soup can be, giving you free rein to play around with a smorgasbord of components and leftover morsels lurking in your fridge or pantry: “The great thing about soup is that you can experiment with different flavours using a variety of ingredients straight from your kitchen cupboards,” he expressed.
Phil’s perfect winter warmer is the prime example of this and uses ingredients some may already have in their kitchens. While the three key ingredients are all you need for a delicious dish, he also suggests giving your recipe an extra twist by using infused oils, such as a chilli-based one for an extra kick of heat.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make Phil’s simple recipe:
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One tablespoon of olive oil
One diced onion
Two large carrots, chopped
One garlic clove, crushed
650g of frozen peas
225g cubed potatoes
2 pints of vegetable stock
Creme Fraiche or any soft cheese or cream
Salt and pepper for seasoning
To make Phil’s soup, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the chopped onion, carrots, potatoes and any other vegetables you want to use up or fancy including. Cook for three or four minutes or until they turn soft and add in the frozen peas.
Next pour in the stock and bring it to a boil and add the salt and pepper to season. Leave all the ingredients to simmer so the flavours infuse and the veggies are tender. Once this has happened, leave it to cool for 15 minutes, then whisk with a hand blender until it’s silky and smooth.
Remember to reheat the soup and stir in your creme fraiche, cream cheese or cream for that extra indulgence.
