Minnie's Soup Kitchen

Rocket and Parmesan Soup Soup 160 from The Soup Book . The recipe by Celia Brooks Brown looked simple, the preparation was simple. No processing: just the hand blender. Simple. What did I need? Olive oil, onions (chopped), potatoes (skins left on and cubed), garlic (crushed), vegetable stock, Parmesan rind (yes, that's right - rind ; "tiny diced"), and rocket (roughly chopped). What made it even simpler was that I had everything except for the rocket. I had to go into town anyway so I decided to go to Temple Bar for fresh organic rocket. My first stop while in town was at Merrion Square to see what was happening at Dublin Pride 2013 . Then I sauntered along Nassau Street, through the Trinity College campus, across College Green, down Anglesea Street, an errand in Cope Street and then to Curved Street. Having bought rocket from the stall-holder, he told me about pesto he'd made using rocket, mantega and walnuts (mmmm!). Home. The spouse was back from Be...

Spinach and Parmesan Soup with Creme Fraiche As I may have mentioned before, this September is a very busy month for me. Since coming home from my holiday last month, I have changed jobs more suddenly and with a greater degree of finality than I would have anticipated. The older offspring will be leaving home in a matter of days and I don't know whether to be upset at his departure or to relish the opportunity to tidy out his bedroom. The younger offspring is having extended birthday celebrations this weekend. I am finishing off one project before commencing a new course of study. The spouse and the younger offspring will be going to an international sporting event later this month, after which those of us still living in this house in Dublin will be hosting visitors from the far east. Roll on October, I say. I digress. Back to the soup. This weekend I chose spinach and Parmesan soup on the basis that it's supposed to be quick to make. Skye Gyngell's recipe gives the...

Butterbean Soup with Rocket Pesto Angela Nilsen (contributor to The Soup Book ) describes this soup as perfect for serving at a supper party. I'm not really sure what a supper party is, so am not in a position to agree or disagree. The soup ingredients are olive oil, onion, celery, garlic, prosciutto, dried crushed chillies, basil, stock, spaghetti and a can of butterbeans. The onion and celery are fried in olive oil, then the garlic is added and fried. Next in are the prosciutto and chillies. No more frying. The basil, stock and spaghetti are added and brought to the boil and simmered until the spaghetti is al dente . You whizz a few ladlefuls of the soup in a processor or blender then pour it back into the pot with the rest of the soup. The pesto (rocket, basil, Parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, garlic and olive oil whizzed in a small blender) is spooned on top of the soup when serving. I made this soup last Saturday (13th August) and the four of us had it for dinner....

Rosemary's bean soup with Italian cheese chips Today I made my thirtieth soup! Before I start writing about this soup, I'll tell you a little bit more about the contents of The Soup Book . It's divided into these sections: Techniques ; Recipe Choosers ; Summer Vegetables ; Winter Vegetables ; Pulses and Nuts ; Fish and Shellfish ; Poultry, Game and Meat ; Fruit ; Cheese ; and Breads . Techniques covers making stock, preparing vegetables, herbs, spices and pulses, pureeing, thickening, enriching, rescuing, garnishing, storecupboard essentials, and making use of leftovers.  The other sections contain just what their titles indicate! I have made eleven summer vegetable soups, five winter vegetable soups, five from Pulses and Nuts , three from Fish and Shellfish , four from Poultry, Game and Meat , and two from Cheese . It's obviously going to take me a while to get through The Soup Book . I have no idea why this soup is called Rosemary's bean soup. It contains ros...