Souper Sunday

Well I don’t know what the weather is like where you are but up north its blinking freezing and then some.  On days like these we yearn for hot comfort food and homemade soup is the best. 

I make soup most weeks, it really is a great way to prevent food waste, any vegetables or bits of meat lingering in the fridge and you don’t think you will use up in time before they go off can be chucked into a stock pot. 

So today I went out and bought a ham joint, I cook one each week, it’s only £2.99 in Aldi and lasts us for the whole week.  So today’s recipes are Leek and Potato Soup (6 hearty portions) and Pea and Ham soup (4 hearty portions).   Total cost of ingredients was £2.49 (I only used about 50p worth of the Ham joint in the pea and ham soup), equating to 25p a portion, for a big bowl of soup which tastes far better than any tin you can buy in the shop, I promise.

I know there are lots of recipes for both but these are mine and really yummy

Leek & Potato

Into 2 litres of ham stock I put in (I did add in about 500ml of water to make up the 2 litres and crumbled in a chicken stock cube)

2 roughly chopped onions (I also added in a few spring onions as these where looking past their best)

2 roughly chopped large leeks

2 roughly chopped baking potatoes

Add a few herbs, salt and pepper to taste, bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.

As we like our soups smooth I then but it in the blender, check the seasoning and e voila

Pea and Ham soup

Into 1 litre of ham stock 

1 roughly chopped onion (again added in a few spring onions)

1 roughly chopped potato

A few herbs salt and pepper

Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

I then put in 500g of frozen peas from the freezer, I don’t cook these just leave them in the hot stock for a few minutes this ensures that after you’ve blended you have a luscious green colour and a very pea flavour.  (Photo doesn't do it justice due to poor lighting)

From the ham joint I chop up a couple of slices of ham, I then check the seasoning and again e voila a fab soup.

In this weather hubby likes to take soup to work to reheat for his lunch, filling, nutritious and on cold days like this feeds both body and soul.