How to make a soup!

Making a soup is an exercise of improvisation. It is easier than you think and you can use what you have in your fridge! You can be as creative as you'd like with seasonal vegetables or even fruits. Yes I did make a soup with onions, potatoes and apples with some spices. You can do leek, potatoes, and onion, or carrots, curry, potatoes, onions, or butternut squash, ginger, carrots and it goes on and on—the combinations are endless.

Here are the basics:

1. Stir an onion peeled and chopped with some vegetable oil or butter in a large pot, for a couple of minutes. Maybe add garlic or ginger.

2. Add the vegetables peeled, washed and cut in pieces (I usually use 2-3 carottes or pumpkin, leeks, 1 potato or parsnips, but it can be anything)

3. Add seasoning such as curry, cumin, origan salt & pepper

4. Stir in the liquid (vegetable (or any) stock is preferred, but water works too) just to cover all the vegetables and cook for about 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft. Adjust seasoning if needed.

5. Mix the soup in a food processor or use an immersion blender. You can add some milk, cream or sour cream depending on your taste.

Soup Ideas from the picture (clockwise)

Soup 1: Apples with cayenne pepper: 1 onion, 2-3 apples, 2 potatoes with cayenne pepper

Soup 2: Potatoes & leek: 4-5 leeks, 2lb potatoes (1 onion optional), garlic, thyme, bay leave, salt & pepper and chopped chives for toppings (optional)

Soup 3: Carrots, celery, ginger curry: 1 onion, carrots, celery with ginger, coriander seeds, curry, turmeric, salt & pepper to taste.

Soup 4: Tomato soup: 3 large peeled tomatoes (roast them 5 minutes in the oven to remove the skin), 1 potato, 1onion, 1 leek (optional) with garlic and cumin, bay leaves and salt & pepper to taste.