Childhood memories are filled with an amazing vege soup that Mum made and I had forgotten the recipe. We would sit by the open fire and sip soup that was incredibly smooth and the flavours melded in a way that was hard to know what was in it. A sprinkle of chopped parsley, or a sprig as pictured. Thank you Lucy, it is great that you remember it so well. Here is Nonna's vegetable soup as remembered Lucy:
"I have just cooked up a big pot of vegetable soup that Mum taught me about 35 years ago to cook when I first got married!
The soup starts with a big pot of homemade chicken stock. I pulled one out of the freezer made a few weeks ago. I boiled a whole chicken with onion, carrot and herbs. Into the soup pot I just love putting in whatever needs to be used up in the fridge, as Mum did. Tonight's soup was almost identical to Mum's except I add ginger and often a few Asian ingredients like lemon grass and some chilli or whatever!
Finely chopped Onions, Garlic, Celery, Broccoli, Capsicum
Grated Pumpkin, White Potato, Carrot
Brown Rice and Quinoa grains (GF)
Barley or "Soup Mix" = Mum's favourite
The soup starts with a big pot of homemade chicken stock. I pulled one out of the freezer made a few weeks ago. I boiled a whole chicken with onion, carrot and herbs. Into the soup pot I just love putting in whatever needs to be used up in the fridge, as Mum did. Tonight's soup was almost identical to Mum's except I add ginger and often a few Asian ingredients like lemon grass and some chilli or whatever!
Finely chopped Onions, Garlic, Celery, Broccoli, Capsicum
Grated Pumpkin, White Potato, Carrot
Brown Rice and Quinoa grains (GF)
Barley or "Soup Mix" = Mum's favourite
I also added whole Sweet Corn, microwaved and then sliced off the cob
Chopped Parsley, dried herbs or fresh dried herbs
Sea Salt and Ground Pepper
Place all ingredients on the stove simmering for a few hours so it all congeals together and the vegetables soften. Mum's little trick at the end was to add a tin of tomato soup to sweeten it up a bit and add a little more flavour. I just added a small tin of tomato paste tonight and a spoon of brown sugar instead to do the trick.
Chopped Parsley, dried herbs or fresh dried herbs
Sea Salt and Ground Pepper
Place all ingredients on the stove simmering for a few hours so it all congeals together and the vegetables soften. Mum's little trick at the end was to add a tin of tomato soup to sweeten it up a bit and add a little more flavour. I just added a small tin of tomato paste tonight and a spoon of brown sugar instead to do the trick.
