Soup-A-Licious: Italian Mushroom Soup

Soup-A-Licious: Italian Mushroom Soup

National Soup Week is in full swing and 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.

A great soup to make for those holding their own soup events at home is homemade mushroom soup. Full of flavor and easy to make

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of Olive Oil
1lb of Mushrooms
2 diced Red Onions
2 tbsp – Flour
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 cup of Vegetable Stock
1.5 cups – Fusilli Pasta
1 tin  Chopped Tomatoes
Salt and Pepper (For Seasoning)

What To Do:

Heat olive oil in pot.
Chop up onions, garlic and mushrooms
Fry the onions and garlic until they are nearly cooked.
Add the mushrooms to the pot, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add flour to the pot, and coat mushrooms and onions.
Add the stock to the pot, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes and pasta to the pot, and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
Once all the ingredients have cooked and heated through (make sure the pasta is cooked properly), season to taste.
Serve in bowls.

Tip 1:  Any type of mushroom can be used as per preference
Tip 2: Add more stock or water to get a soup of desired consistency.

Gorta's National Soup Week Begins! 

From March 5th until the 11th restaurants, cafés and pubs across Ireland are also becoming gorta soupporters and donating €1 per bowl of soup sold during National Soup Week. Why not make that lunch date matter?


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

Summer Vegetable Soup

Soup-A-Licious: Summer Vegetable Soup 

With National Soup week starting on the 5th of March and the sun shining all week, we have the perfect soup to be enjoyed on a sunny day or to brighten up some dull sky's, this fragrant and flavour some recipe is an appetising treat


Ingredients:

• 2 vegetable stock cubes in 1.5 pints of Water
• 1 bunch of spring onions; finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic; crushed
• 3 celery sticks; finely sliced
• 1 large courgette; chopped
• 125g fine green beans; trimmed and sliced
• 1 tablespoon of green pesto sauce
• 12 basil leaves; torn/chopped
• 50g crisp lettuce or Chinese leaves finely shredded
• Salt and Pepper

What to do:

1. Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to the boil
2. Add the spring onions, garlic celery, courgette and green beans, return to the boil and then reduce the heat cover and simmer for 10 mins
3. Add the pesto sauce basil leaves and cook,
4. Add the shredded lettuce and cook for 2 minutes, season to taste
5. Serve the soup into bowls 

Gorta are 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.



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

Rua Caf and Deli: Beetroot Soup

From Rua Cafe and Deli in Castlebar, we have a great recipe for Beetroot Soup today perfect for a sunny. Don't forget to pop in to Cafe Rua during National Soup Week beginning next week on March 5th to help yourself to a bowl. 

Ingredients:

• 2.5kg peeled fresh beet
• 500g chopped onion
• 2 minced cloves garlic
• 1 tspn minced fresh ginger
• 1 heaped tspn cumin powder
• 2 litres good veg or chicken stock
• Oil and butter, seasoning
• Splash red wine vinegar

What To do: 

1. Sweat the onions in the butter on low heat for at least 10 minutes until soft and sweet and just about turning brown. 
2. Add in your chopped beetroot, garlic and spices and sweat for a further 10 minutes. 
3. Add the hot stock and season well.
4. Finally, add a splash vinegar to preserve colour and blitz

Tip 1: The soup will keep refrigerated for 3 days  if made with chicken stock and 1 week if you use  vegetable stock. 

Tip 2: It can also be frozen.

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

Soup-A-Licious: Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

Soup-A-Licious:

Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

A light and soup-per taster soup on the menu today. One of the favourites from the takeaway, Chicken and Sweetcorn soup is a delicious simple soup that's a great way to use up the left over roast chicken.

The following recipe makes two lunch/dinner portions or four starter portions.

Ingredients:

• 5g / 1 teaspoon of low fat butter spread
• 326g Can of sweetcorn,
• 1 clove of garlic. Peeled and finely chopped.
• 2 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 1 litre of hot water
• 1 tablespoon of cornflour
• 150 ml milk
• 100g cooked chopped chicken
• 1 tblspoon of fresh coriander or parsely
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat a large saucepan on a medium to high heat and add the butter. When it's bubbling, add the garlic and ginger and fry for 2-3 minutes until fragrant
2. Add sweetocrn and chicken stock to a large saucepan, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins
3. Transfer the ixture to a liquidiser/food processor and blend until smooth and return to saucepan (This can be optional as some people may enjoy the whole  sweetcorn)
4. Blend the cornflour with 2-3 tablesppons of milk and stir into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
5. Add the chicken and coriander/parsley if desired
6. Reheat, then ass salt and pepper to taste
7. Ladle into bowls and serve at once

TIP 1: Make this dish a great lunch or meal by adding noodles to the dish

Nude Food: Parnsip and Parmesean Soup

Soup-A-Licious: Nude Food Parnsip and Parmesean Soup

From Nude Food in Dungarvan, we have a delicious recipe for Parsnip and Parmesan Soup from their very own Louise Clark

Ingredients:

• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 spanish onion
• 1kg of parsnips
• seasalt & black pepper
• 2litres of water
• 500g parmesan
• 200ml double cream
• paprika to serve

What to do:

1 - sweat onions in olive oil until soft
2 - add diced up parsnips and toss with onions
3 - top with water and simmer until parsnips are soft
4 - add parmesan in cubes

5 - blitz, add cream and season
6 - serve with a sprinkle f smoked paprika
7- sit back and enjoy....yummy!!

Nude food will be participating with gorta in Soup For Life so don’t forget to pop in during the week of March 5th – 11th to help yourself to a bowl of delicious and freshly made soup and make a contribution to gorta and help us make hunger history

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)