It is Sunday afternoon, the fridge has a few tired vegetables in it, and the week ahead looks busy. A pot of soup is the quiet answer. It takes about an hour, most of it with the lid on, and it gives you something warm to reach for on the nights you do not want to cook.
This guide is a method, not a single recipe. Learn it once and you can make soup from almost anything: carrots, leeks, potatoes, squash, cabbage, the last of the greens.
You will need one large pot, a knife, a cutting board and a ladle.
Why soup suits a busy week
Soup is forgiving. A little more water, a little less, a missing herb: it still comes out fine. It also reheats well, and many soups taste better on day two when the flavors have had time to settle.
It is also a quiet way to eat vegetables without making a project of it. Nobody has to like a single boiled carrot when it has melted into a pot with onion and broth. If someone in your house is wary of vegetables, soup is often an easy place to start, as the article on vegetables for people who say they do not like them explains.
The method
Step by step
Make a pot of soup from what you have
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Make it a meal
A thin soup is a starter. A soup with something hearty in it is supper. Choose one of these:
- A can of drained beans or a cup of cooked lentils (see beans and lentils: the quiet staples).
- A handful of rice, small pasta or barley, cooked right in the pot.
- A slice of toasted bread on the side, rubbed with a cut clove of garlic.
- A spoon of yogurt or a soft egg on top.
Storing and reheating
Let the soup cool for about thirty minutes, then pour it into shallow containers so it chills quickly. Put it in the fridge within two hours of cooking. It keeps for about four days.
For longer storage, freeze it in single-meal containers and leave an inch of room at the top, since liquid expands. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot all the way through. Potato-heavy soups can turn a little grainy after freezing, so go easy on potatoes if you plan to freeze.
Pitfalls
Bland soup. Almost always too little salt, or no acid at the end. Add salt a pinch at a time and finish with lemon or vinegar.
Mushy vegetables. Everything went in at once. Add soft vegetables later.
A pot that is too thin. Simmer with the lid off for ten more minutes, or mash a few potatoes or beans against the side of the pot.
Boiling hard. A fierce boil makes vegetables fall apart and can make a cloudy broth. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
A soup to make today
This one is built from pantry staples and costs very little. Serve it with bread and a handful of greens.
Make this today
Carrot, potato and white bean soup
45 min
You need
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained
- 6 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method
- Step 1: Warm the oil in a large pot and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes, until soft.
- Step 2: Add the carrots, potatoes, remaining salt and water. Bring to a boil.
- Step 3: Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Step 4: Add the beans and simmer 5 more minutes.
- Step 5: Mash a few spoonfuls against the side of the pot to thicken it. Stir in the lemon juice and taste.
Keep going
A pot of soup is one of the best ways to keep a week calm. Make it on a day with a little time, and let it do the work for you later.
For more ways to stretch your cooking, see how to roast a tray of vegetables every time, since roasted vegetables are a wonderful soup base. And if you want a seasonal angle, the plates page has menus by season.
Asked over the fence