Can I save money by making my own soup?

brisck1

Hi everyone,

I usually eat soup most weekdays for lunch (perhaps with a piece of crusty bread) as I never like having anything too heavy at luchtimes, and usually end up spending around £2.50 a week on ASDA's own brand soups (I cant stand the 16p chicken/tomato soups)

I'm really trying to save the pennies wherever I can in 2010 and have been examining my shopping list to see where I can lighten the load, and have been wondering if making my own soup would be cheaper? (cooking a big batch and freezing it)

I've seen a few potential recipes but they require the use of a slow cooker which I have, but im wondering if the cost of cooking it for 4-5hours (elec) would unbalance the cheapness of it? I really dont know how economical slow cookers are tbh.

Thanks!
Rob

rachbc

most soups can be cooked on the hob in much less time than 4-5 hours - what sort do you like I'm sure people will be able to suggest recipes and rough costs

seraphina

You absolutely do NOT need a slow cooker for soup! Some people find them conveinient but I can't stand the things.

You can definitely save yourself money on soup - for the cost of a good stock cube and whatever veggies take your fancy you can make a big vat of the stuff. It might seem like you spend more than the cost of a can of soup whenever you buy the ingredients but you'll be able to make pints of soup for the same cost, and you can freeze leftovers.

Most of my soups start with a base of chopped veg - diced onion, celery and garlic, and then some more coarsely chopped carrot. Then I add whatever I fancy - sometimes canned tomatoes and kidney beans with a chilli for a spicy bean and chilli version, sometimes cubed butternut squash - you get the idea. Then add stock and cook until the veggies are done.

What you might want to invest in is a blender or stick blender - that way you can get smooth soups or lumpy soups.

Also cooking veg for long times in a slow cooker is a sure fire way to reduce their vitamin content.

I'm sure there's a soup thread in the master index someplace?

sandiep

Yes, you save money with soup by using all the cruddy vegetables left over that you can't do anything else with, and by making in batches. By buying what ever you can find yellow stickered in the supermarket. Even taking the sauce that's left over from a casseroule, or any left over cooked veggies and throwing in an extra bit of stock.

The one essential you need is bullion stock powder. With this you can turn any left over/mushy veggies into nourishing tasty soups. Also, some plastic single portion size containers to freeze.

Broth mix is very cheap and adds a whole lot of extra nourishment into the soup, turns it into a whole meal.

Ditto cooking - 35mins on the hob is fine.

Now, you really know what to do with that 4p bag of chopped carrot and turnip!

Amanda65

I made a really delicious French onion soup today:

25g butter
1lb onions (peeled and sliced in rings)
2 pints beef stock (I used beef stock cubes 'pepped' up with a couple of tsp Bovril)
2 tbsp flour
Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan fry onion rings in butter slowly until soft, stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the hot stock, season, bring to the boil and simmer for 25 mins until onions are soft.

It was gorgeous (I added a piece of French bread covered in some melted Gruyere I found lurking in the back of the fridge from Christmas ) and OH and I had a massive bowl each and there is still one massive (or two normal :rotfl:) portions left. Can't have cost more than about £1.50

brisck1

thanks! 35 mins on a hob? that sounds better!

I invested in a hand blender just before xmas also and have piles of beef, veg and chicken oxo cubes in the cupboard. If I cook it on the hob do I need to wait until the veg is really soft before blending it or can it be blended smooth earier on?

I have some chicken breast and pork which has been sitting in the freezer for ages not doing anything and am thinking of using that somehow, any recipe suggestions?

Edit: oh yeah and a ton of dried split lentils which have been there for months if any of you can think of ways to use that up!

geri1965_2

I tend to blend mine after about 20 minutes.

hex2

Hi Brisck,

Today I made a batch of soup as follows:

1 onion - 5p
4 carrots - 20p
Half butternut squash - 25p - was one from Aldi when they where 49p a while ago
1 litre marigold veg stock - 25p
2 potatoes - 10p
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

Sweated the chopped onion in some olive oil whilst I chopped the rest of the veg, then added the other veg and sweated it for another ten minutes (lid on, low heat), added the chilli powder, then the veg stock. Simmered till the veg was soft. Whizzed it in the blender. Five portions of good quality soup for under £1.50. The potatoes thicken the soup, you can use instant mash instead at the end.

Straight carrot and coriander is cheaper still. Same method, just use 500g of carrots and omit the squash, swap the chilli powder for coriander.

On the blending front it does depend on how smooth you like your soup.

You can use the lentils to make a spicy lentil soup. Can't help with a recipe for that though.

purpleivy

today I did mushroom soup, simmered the mushroom and onions for about 10 minutes after sweating the onions. Blended. Didn't take more than 20 mins from start to finish and the stock was a solid block from the freezer when I started!

nearlyrich

I make soup on the hob, I made some Leek and Potato at the weekend, it made 5 decent sized portions from 1 leek, 2 small onions a few rubbery potatoes and a couple of spoons of vegetable stock powder. I invested in a new blender just before Christmas and it does a better job than the stick blender, the soup was very thick and warming and cheap!

carolinosourus

I cook my veg until soft and then blend them right at the end with my stick blender. You can also blend half or 3/4 of the soup and then mix the 2 lots so you get slightly chunky soups. I tend to make soups from what's left at the bottom of my fridge, so it's never the same twice! I also like using red lentils as they cook very quickly and make soups lovely and thick. They don't even need blending as they turn to mush after a while.