Soup from leftovers

tiff

Yesterday I made my first soup since last winter. I had some boiled potatoes, mashed potato and leftover baked beans in the fridge as well as some mushrooms. I fried an onion, garlic and added the above with some chicken stock, heated and blitzed. I added some cream and a little cheese and if I do say so myself it tasted fab.

What weird soups have you made from leftovers?

thriftlady_2

I think leftover soups are the best. I often use leftover casseroles or stews as a soup base. I have some leftover chorizo and chickpea stew which will be soup tomorrow, the chorizo has all gone but the spicy sauce and the chickpeas will be great with more tomatoes and some stock.

Leftover gravy is good in soup too;)

I once tried it the other way round -made something else out of leftover soup. It wasn't as successful! I used the veg and chicken from a soup to make savoury muffins. They weren't very good:o

Hippygirl

Its not weird, but I have a 'leftovers' soup simmering for lunch - an onion, a few carrots, last nights left over runner beans and broccoli, tomato sauce left over from the childrens pasta on thursday, a tub of frozen yellow plum tomatoes that I froze at the beginning of the year, the end of a piece of parmesan and green and orange lentils that have been lurking in the cupboard since last winter - will spice it up a it and then blitz.

Stephen_Leak

CHICKEN SOUP

Part of the "Rubber Chicken" collection.

A simple recipe for chicken soup, using a leftover chicken carcass. A basic broth can be made with just the chicken, water, onion and pepper.

4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 onion
100g to 125g of at least 2 additional vegetables (see below)
1 roast chicken carcass
1 litre of water
1 chicken stock cube
1 teaspoon of a dried herb
Ground pepper to taste

METHOD

Peel the onion and chop it into big pieces. Peel the other vegetables, if required, and chop them into 2cm (1 inch) pieces.

Put the chicken, onion, vegetables, water and stock cube into a large saucepan on a medium heat. Stir thoroughly. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering).

Put the lid on and cook for 1 hour. Check the liquid level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out.

Fish out the carcass and put it on a plate. Remove any meat which is still on the bones, Put the meat back into the soup. Discard the bones.

If you have a food processor, put the soup in it and blend it to the desired consistency. If you have a hand blender, put it in the soup and blend it to the desired consistency. If you don’t have a food processor or hand blender, use a potato masher, press the soup through a sieve with the back of a spoon, or leave it lumpy.

Add the herb. Stir thoroughly.

Season with the pepper.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

You can use carrots, celery, courgettes, leeks, mushrooms, tomatoes, parsnips, potatoes, swedes, turnips, etc. Using green vegetables and mushrooms will give a light and delicate broth. Using root vegetables and tomatoes will give a thick and hearty soup.

Sage would seem to be a good herb to use. After all, sage and onion does go with chicken.

For Chicken Noodle Soup, use green vegetables and add a small pack of noodles. Cook them in the soup, according to the instructions on the packet.

TIPS

Don’t panic, if you fish out fewer bones than you remember going in. Some will have dissolved into the soup, adding to the goodness.
　

Stephen_Leak

BOILED HAM plus PEA & HAM SOUP

If you are going to boil a ham joint, why not make some pea & ham soup as well.

For 4 servings of soup

INGREDIENTS

1 ham joint
1 litre of water
250g box of dried peas
Ground black pepper to taste

METHOD

Rinse the ham in cold water, then soak the ham in cold water for at least 6 hours, changing the water once or twice if it is very salty, or according to any cooking instructions. If you are using dried peas, soak them in water according to the instructions.

Put the ham into a large saucepan and cover with fresh water. If you are using soaked dried peas, add them now. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering).

Put the lid on the saucepan and cook according to the cooking instructions on the ham. Remove any salty white scum, which will probably form on the surface of the water. Check the liquid level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out.

Remove the ham. Adjust the amount of water, if necessary, to the required quantity of soup.

If you are using fresh, frozen or tinned peas, add them now. Continue cooking until the peas are soft. Check the liquid level from time to time and top up if it starts to dry out.

If you have a food processor, put the soup in it and blend it to the desired consistency. If you have a hand blender, put it in the soup and blend it to the desired consistency. If you don’t have a food processor or hand blender, use a potato masher, press the soup through a sieve with the back of a spoon, or leave it lumpy.

Continue to cook for another couple of minutes.

Season with the pepper.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

You can use dried, fresh, frozen or tinned peas. However, dried peas have to be soaked in advance.

Shred some of the ham and add it to the soup before serving.

Omit the ham and make pea soup.

TIPS

Pea & ham soup can be any consistency from a thin liquid with soft peas floating in it to a thick paste you can stand a spoon up in.

Izzy.

the last two recipies arnt soup from left overs just soup made of stock like all soup is