Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Create heartwarming soups

Post Thumbnail

Chase away the winter blues with a bowl of homemade soup made with proper stock.

For several years, Deborah Ratcliffe had a column in the P&J where she shared her recipes for real home cooking-style dishes.

Due to her husband’s work, she moved abroad and lived in some fascinating places including Trinidad, Tanzania and Gozo where she further expanded her knowledge of produce.

Now she’s returning to Aberdeenshire and once again offering readers the chance to enjoy some of her recipes which use simple ingredients but are full of flavour.

Here, Deborah takes a look at home-made soups …

SOUPER SOUPS

What can be nicer than a bowl of heart-warming homemade soup? On a chilly day, it not only fills you up, but warms the cockles of your heart.

In winter I eat soup at least four to five times a week.

If I have a roast chicken for Sunday lunch, then the carcass with a few vegetables, loaded into my crockpot/slow cooker, becomes a delicious base for some yummy stock.

A gammon hock or a piece of good old stewing beef, fish trimmings and, of course, beautiful fresh vegetables for a vegetarian stock, all make a well flavoured basis for soups.

A slow cooker is my preferred choice of utensil to make stock as long and slow cooking is the key to a great stock, and a slow cooker is the perfect answer.

I switch it on first thing in the morning, on high, filled with the chosen ingredients until it starts to bubble. Then turn to low and leave for hours just simmering away. The bonus is the amazing aroma permeating the house, and even on the coldest day it makes you feel so cosy inside!

If you don’t have a slow cooker, a long simmer on the hob, or in the oven will do just as well.

Homemade stock really adds extra flavour in soup making. They are essentially reductions of the ingredients and water. Concentrating and developing the chosen flavours.

A few tips for a good soup stock include:

l Never totally cover the pot when cooking – allow the steam to escape as this way the stock reduces and concentrates the flavour.

l Using a slotted spoon, frequently skim the surface to remove scum and fat.

l Refrigerate when cool then remove the fat layer that forms.

Basic Chicken Stock (hob method)

1.7 litre water

1 chicken carcass from a roasted bird

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks

1 stick celery, cut into 6-8 slices

1 bouquet garni

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Partially cover with a lid – just a small gap will do.

Bring to the boil and then gently simmer for two to three hours and skim occasionally.

Strain the veggies and chicken carcass through a fine sieve. Allow the liquid to cool, then refrigerate.

When cold, remove the fat and use the stock as required.

Tip: Add other herbs, such as parsley, if you like.

Roasted Carrot Soup

SERVES 3-4

2 medium onions, peeled and cut in half

6 medium carrots, peeled and cut in chunks

Half a small head of garlic – I used 4 cloves

Oil for drizzling

TO FINISH

1 large cubed, peeled potato

600ml vegetable stock

1tbsp butter

Small handful chopped coriander

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Coriander or cream for garnish 
(optional)

Set the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

When the oven has reached the correct temperature, place the onion, carrot and garlic on a large baking dish. Leave the garlic unpeeled and in one piece if possible and try to keep the veg in a single layer. Drizzle with a little oil and toss well.

Roast the veg until tender – this will take about 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool then roughly chop the carrot and onion.

Squeeze out the garlic pulp and reserve it.

While the veg is roasting, add the cubed potatoes to boiling water. Cook and drain when tender.

When all the veg is ready, melt the butter in a large saucepan – add carrots, onion and potato. Stir around until all are well covered (takes about a minute on low heat).

Add the garlic and stir for a minute – take care it doesn’t stick to the base. Immediately add the stock. Cover and cook for 20 minutes at a simmer.

Add the coriander and cook in for further two minutes.

Cool, puree, return to the pan and gently reheat. Check and season to taste.

Tip: Swirl in some cream for a more elegant presentation and/or top with some fresh coriander. This soup should be quite thick which makes it very hearty.

Thin down if preferred with a little more stock or some milk.

If you prefer, don’t peel the carrots if the skins are thin, a good scrubbing will do.