ITALIAN WINTER WARMERS SIMPLE SOUPS.

thespiceman

Hello every one another cold day as I sit here eating and consuming my Italian Soup freshly made.

Thinking of you all thought share some simple one pot Soups and easy to do.

All freezer friendly use a Slow Cooker .

Not a lot of cooking or preparing.

There are three types of Soup in Italian Cuisine .

Brodo as the name implies means Broth .  From any left over meals or sauces.

Made into simple Soups. One I use a lot is this one.

RED PEPPER SOUP.

You need a blender and or a Food processor.

You need Onions buy Frozen or use Food processor Slicer.

One Jar Roasted Red Peppers drained and a Carton Of Passata.

Stock for Soup.  Use left over Stock from any meal or roast or just use good quality stock cube.

Make up use half a pint adjust for numbers.

I actually use a left over Pasta Sauce gets rid if and in to Soup has herbs, Onions, Garlic and is a shame to waste.

Herbs use Parsley or Basil, fine to use dried Thyme a Bay leaf.

Use Chilli Flakes to taste . Half or quarter teaspoon , your Soup.

Basil and Parsley half a bunch chopped up use a food processor touch of water , freeze ice cube tray drain into.

Then always got herbs.

METHOD 

1. Add to a sauce pan Onions, in Olive Oil touch butter sauté add for a few minutes colour.

2. Add Blender, Roasted Red Peppers drained, add Carton Passata and any stock.  Might not use this all.

3. Blitz add to Onion simmer, for around ten minutes, adjust seasoning add Black Pepper and Chili Flakes .

If you using dried use at start to infuse.

4. Add herbs warm through fresh  herbs should be added at end of Cooking turn of heat will wilt in Soup. 

Simple one.

There are others Zuppe is like Brodo but has scattering of vegetables less is more.


BUTTERNUT SQUASH SWEET POTATO AND CARROT

The supermarkets helps here, have these already diced for you.  Only saves times and peeling but buy bags and use double quantities.

You can either have this whole or my favourite blitzed up.

Add Pastina  small Pasta Shapes these are available more on line.  Ditali or the normal shapes we see but added the ette on the end, means small.

You so you get Conchiglie but the small version for Soup  Conchigliette.   So on and so on.

If you have children loads of fun shapes designs including Alfabeti shapes as letters.

Use Wholemeal versions have a simple easy Soup.

INGREDIENTS 

One or two packs of Butternut Squash Soup mix has Sweet Potato and Onions, Chill not a lot I use a few more for my taste.

Two big large Carrots use a food processor slicer useful for sliced veggies or if you wish to.

Look for in Supermarket Swede, Carrots for Mashing, some sell these. I use them with Soup or simple Ragu.

Diced for you already to use.

Jar of Passata good buys on line cheaper than the supermarkets I buy a big pack of 690g Jars, all organic and cost me around £1. each lot less than the supermarkets.

Parsley a bunch ripped up or use ice cube as suggested.

Stock veggie made up used half a pint of course uses anything you have left over veggies.  

Quick Vegetable stock home made.

Any skins, Onions left over, Celery end bit and ends of Carrots or peelings. Celery leaves.

Add to any veggies left over from meals, done this with left over Bean veggies Soup.

Removed Beans find got veggies left over, simmer for a hour. Cool blitz and sieve and to tubs labelled fridge or freezer.

METHOD

1. In a saucepan.  Olive Oil in a pan add Soup mixes.  Carrots. 

Passata might not use all.

Stock cube or home made.  

2.  Warm through and simmer last minute add diced ice cube herbs or anything you have done this with thyme dried.

Use half teaspoon.

3.  Check season. Option to cool down and blitz be careful.

MINESTRONE 

Means Bean or Pulse loads of recipes as they is of any cuisines .

Regional ones are Tuscan Bean Soup.  Chickpea and Bean and Pasta.  Each village town or area has a minestrone ones can be a few veggies beans and pasta.

Saturday night with Bowl and bread helps my wellbeing . Lot easier now.

Most supermarkets sell the Sofrito mix of Carrot, Celery and Onion does help done for you already diced add Tomato Passata and stock your herbs, some do have in.

I buy a lot of these, TESCO sell a root veg mix which I use for Minestrone with Chicken Thighs.

CHICKEN MINESTRONE

Been making this since left home and have added or taken away a few vegetables.

In place of a roast make this, use frozen Leeks sometimes and some of the Root vegetable mix.

With mixed beans, Napolina, Biona do a variety of beans and pulses far better than supermarket own.

I bought several tins all mushy in the tin from certain super markets brands.

Good Quality Chicken Thighs this is fantastico in the Slow cooker all day.

INGREDIENTS

Good quality Chicken thighs, two per person.

Root veg mix for soup one packet.  Option here for Leeks or Celery or anything extra Greens, your Soup.

Jar Passata and stock made up might use not all.

Mixed Beans and use please good ones makes the difference.

Included Cannellini, Borlotti or Haricot, 

Pastina your choice used Broken up Spaghetti, whole grain or used Orzo in Summer a rice like Pasta or my favourite use the small shapes designs, Ditali or others used Elbow Macaroni 

Herbs the Italian Mixes be fine or use Parsley, Thyme , half a teaspoon of each

METHOD.

Used my Slow cooker for this one.

1.  Add Chicken thighs add Veg soup mix roots.

2.  Top with Passata and Stock.

Tip use a jug add a portion of Passata and the stock cube add water mix and then pour over.

No spillages.

3.  On low for four to six hours if using large medium ones adjust timings.

4.  Add Pulses to slow cooker, around last half hour all are already cooked by the way so need not a lot of cooking.

5. Pastina cook boiling kettle add to a Pyrex casserole dish and five minutes on high drain careful.

Hot water I actually use a bowl with a colander inserted in to it and drain the water carefully.

Then cooled to sink to drain away.  Carrying hot water to drain so have this bowl set up near microwave  and can carry to a safe place

Same with my Pasta Pot have one with a drainer insert. Use this a lot but heavy so use a the time to add more Pasta.

You could then if you wish to have the Pasta done keep in the fridge and use when making this Soup.

One of my Italian friends used always make this and extra Pasta ideal for lefts overs.

6.  Add drained Pasta and Beans cover and warm  through.

7. Chicken should be tender falling apart serve in Bowls crusty bread filling and freezable, I do change this.

Sometimes add leafy Greens Spinach and frozen or add Peas, Green Beans frozen.

Hope that helps thank you for reading any questions happy to answer anytime anything foodie you all know that.

Buon Appetito

@thespiceman

Ails

Fab, thanks @thespiceman!  They all sound yummy and I am going to try them.  I especially like the Chicken Minestrone one as it sounds lovely! 

Chloe_Scope

The roasted red pepper one sounds amazing!