The Soup – Part II

The beauty of the 3C soup is that you can add almost anything :

parsnips would give a sweetness

sweet potato – ditto

roasted butternut squash – ditto again

It doesn't have to be a vegetable soup – you could add leftover pieces of chicken or gammon. I always think marrow fat peas work well in soups but I think they are like Marmite – you either love them or hate them. If you're not a lover of chick peas, try butter beans or cannellini beans – both have a natural creamy texture. As with the chick peas, rinse them and then add to the soup. With butter beans you tend to get the outer shell from the bean - personally I'd take a minute or three to remove them – so much nicer in the finished soup.

Lets not forget the cherry on the top – or in this case the dumpling on the top! Hurray for vegetable suet - one of the best comfort foods ever and I for one am really pleased that eventually the “meat free” fraternity were considered.

Soup and dumplings are definitely in my top ten for Autumn/Winter comfort. Quick and easy to make, economical too. If you are the sort of person who doesn't mind eating the same lunch or supper two/three days on the run then this is for you. If you're not then I can confirm that the soup freezes very well. Have a look at my favourite soup “dish”. A really useful, nay colourful piece of kit. Freeze your soup in the mugs, clip the seals and it's ready to use from your freezer.

  

Instant portable lunch to take to the office or anywhere for that matter!