Soup-A-Licious: Leek and Potato Soup

Soup-A-Licious:

Irish leek and potato soup

 

One of the countries favourite soups - Leek and Potato Soup. Simple, nutrious and delicious this recipe serves serves 4 people, prep time 10 mins, cooking time 30 mins. 

 

 

 

Ingredients:   15g Magarine
                     1 chopped Onion
                     3 Leeks Sliced
                     2 potatoes, cut into chunks
                     2 Vegtable stock cubes dissolved in 1 3/4 pints of hot water
                     150ml of skimmed/Whole milk
                     Fresh Parsley
                     Ground Black Pepper
                     Fresh Cream

  

Method: 

• Melt margarine in large saucepan and saute the onions and leeks until softened
• Add potatoes and vegetable stock and bring to boil then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 mins or until the potatoes are soft 
• Transfer half the soup into a liquidiser/processor and blend until smooth  Return to the sauce pan with remaining soup and add the milk
• Reheat the soup and season to taste with parsely and pepper and serve hot
• Garnish with parsely and dollop of cream (Optional)

Kildare sign up to Soup For Life

Kildare sign up to Soup For Life!

Restaurants across Kildare have already started signing up to Gorta’s National Soup Week, which will run from March 5-11 next.


Restaurants taking part in Kildare this year include Halo Cafe, Fallons, Zest Cafe and Avenue restaurant in Maynooth
During the week people can also run ‘Soup for Life’ events at home, in the workplace, or in clubs, schools, and colleges. The annual fundraising campaign encourages people to get out and sip some soup to help make hunger history.


Gorta is encouraging people to get out and support their favourite Kildare eateries by participating in ‘Soup for Life’. For each bowl of soup sold by participating restaurants, cafes and venues from March 5-11, €1 will be donated to Gorta, helping families in Uganda secure a bright future for themselves and their children.

Gorta's Marketing Officer Kevin Dempsey sat down with Noel from Kildare update to talk about the Soup For Life Campaign

Kevin explains to Noel what the “Soup for Life Campaign” and how they need participants in the kildare area to take part.



Kevin also talks about how people in schools or work places can host there very own “Soup for Life day’s” through out the duration of the campaign.

To watch the discussion just follow the link below:

http://kildare.tv/kildare-update-soup-for-life/

For more information visit www.soupforlife.ie or www.gorta.org

Soup-A-Licious: Perfect for Dipping

Soup-A-Licious: Perfect for Dipping

Guinness and Cranberry Bread

Here at Soup For Life, we think there is no better way to enjoy your homemade soup than to have it your very own homemade bread for dipping to go with it. This is one of the best recipes for a simple and quick easy to prepare bread which any novice cook will love to bake.


Ingredients:

• 350g Wholemeal Flour
• 185g Plain Flour
• 110g Dried Cranberries
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 175ml Guinness
• 180ml Buttermilk
• pinch of salt

Optional: Whole Walnuts can be added to the mix for those who like the added crunch

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°c/fan 180°c/gas 6.
2. Line a loaf tin with parchment paper
3. Sieve in flour and baking powder to a bowl  and mix in the cranberries and sugar (And walnuts if you wish)
4. Add the Guinness and buttermilk and combine with wooden spoon until dough has a soft consistency
5. Add the mixture to loaf tin and bake in oven for 50 minutes, checking on progress at 30 minutes to ensure bread isn't browning too quickly
6. When cooked leave to cool on wire tray

TIP 1: Avoid lumps and incorporate air by sieving flour and baking powder

TIP 2: To ensure bread is cooked properly use a skewer and if it comes out clean bread is cooked

TIP 3: Hollow sound when tap the base of the bread ensures bread is fully cooked


Recipe adapted from Catherine’s Family Kitchen by Catherine Fulvio
ISBN: 9780717150571 Hardback: €22.99


For more information about gorta's Soup For Life campaign you can visit the website http://www.soupforlife.ie

Soup-A-Licious! Duo of Soup

Soup-A-Licious! :

Duo of Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup and Tomato Soup

With National Soup week only a few weeks away, it's time to start digging out the most Soup-A-licious recipes we can find.

We're inviting the SOUPER people of Ireland to gather friends, family and/or colleagues together over a cup or bowl of soup during National Soup Week (5th - 11th March 2012) and make a small contribution to gorta's work overseas.

The first recipe to add to your collection is a Duo of Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup and Tomato Soup!  Each are great on their own but you can show off your skills and creative side by serving them together in the same bowl.

 

For the Yellow Pepper Soup:

4 yellow peppers

1 onion, finely diced

1 tsp thyme, chopped

250ml vegetable stock, plus extra to thin soup if required

3 tbsp cream

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

 

For the Tomato Soup:

2 garlic cloves,

2 sundried tomatoes,

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 potato, peeled and diced

300ml vegetable stock, plus extra to thin soup if required

2 tsp of basil,

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

   To make the yellow pepper soup:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.

Put whole peppers on roasting tray and bake until thte skin has browned, turning once halfway through cooking. Put cooked peppers in a bowl and seal tightly with plastic wrap.

Let sit for 30 minutes. Peel peppers, remove and discard seeds and roughly chop

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and cook the onion until soft.

Add the peppers, thyme and stock to the onion and heat through.

Using a hand blender, purée the soup.

Add the cream and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required.

   To make the tomato soup:

Heat some oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.

Add chopped garlic and sundried tomatoes and sauté.

Stir in the tomatoes, potato and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potato is cooked through.

Add in the basil and remove from the heat.

Purée the soup and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required.

• TIP 1: Roasting Peppers in the oven using relatively low heat is the best way to keep the colors vibrant.
 
• TIP 2: To serve, pour both soups into a bowl simultaneously, on opposite sides of the bowl. If desired, use a toothpick to create a more intricate design.

For more information about gorta's Soup For Life campaign you can visit the website http://www.soupforlife.ie 

Café en Seine are on board again this year!

Café en Seine - arguably Dublin’s Finest Café Bar - located on Dawson Street, will take part in National Soup Week again this year. Dublin’s stylish boulevard is the perfect place for a casual yet sophisticated dining experience whatever the time of day. Café en Seine operates a daily food service from noon to 9pm (5pm on a Sunday).

Eat it, Drink it, Slurp it - and help Make Hunger History!

Food entrepreneurs, Cully & Sully today joined Gorta – the Freedom from Hunger Council of Ireland to announce that National Soup Week will run from March 5 -11 next.

‘Soup for Life’, Gorta’s annual fundraising campaign encourages people to get out and sip some soup to help make hunger history. Pictured at the launch in Ballymaloe Cookery School were Deirdre Kingston and Maggie Dwyer from Gorta and Cullen Allen and Colum O’Sullivan from Cully & Sully.

Cully & Sully are loyal supporters of ‘Soup for Life’ and have pledged for the second year in a row to donate 5c per carton of soup sold throughout the course of the week. ‘Soup for Life’ will also roll out in over 250 restaurants across Ireland and for each bowl of soup sold between the 5th and the 11th of March, €1 will be donated to Gorta’s work fighting the causes of hunger and malnutrition in Uganda.

The programme which the campaign is supporting aims to alleviate hunger, especially among women and children. All money raised will go towards providing seeds and seedlings, rooster hens and training and planning on all aspects of nutrition and food security.

For more information go to www.soupforlife.ie