National Soup Week 2012 starts Monday 5th March

Soup-A-Licious: Leek and Potato Soup

2012-02-17T16:12:00.000Z

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

2012-02-16T12:16:00.002Z

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

2012-02-15T11:33:00.003Z

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:

Preheat the oven to 200°c/fan 180°c/gas 6.
Line a loaf tin with parchment paper
Sieve in flour and baking powder to a bowl and mix in the cranberries and sugar (And walnuts if you wish)
Add the Guinness and buttermilk and combine with wooden spoon until dough has a soft consistency
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
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

2012-02-13T16:14:00.000Z

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!

2012-02-07T12:39:00.001Z

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!

2012-01-24T13:43:00.002Z

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

2012-01-24T13:41:00.001Z

Celebrity chef, Derry Clarke of L’Ecrivain restaurant helps launch Soup for Life 2012!

2012-01-24T13:38:00.001Z

Celebrity chef, Derry Clarke helps launch Soup for Life with Gorta's Media Officer Deirdre Kingston at L’Ecrivain restaurant in Dublin.

Celebrity chef, Derry Clarke of L’Ecrivain restaurant (Dublin) today joined Gorta – the Freedom from Hunger Council of Ireland to announce that National Soup Week will run from March 5-11 next.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) is also encouraging people to support the campaign at participating restaurants nationwide. 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.

‘Soup for Life’ is a fun, vibrant and positive campaign which is very much focused on participation across the country. This year, Gorta is encouraging people to get out and support their favourite 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.

Speaking at the launch, Gorta CEO Brian Hanratty said “Soup is a simple meal, which is full of nutrients and one which is enjoyed all across the globe. During ‘An Gorta Mór’ up to one third of the population was dependant on soup kitchens to survive. We are asking people to enjoy soup during National Soup Week with their friends, families and colleagues and in doing so make a contribution to our work with poor communities, especially in East Africa.”

He continued, “This unique campaign will raise funds to support a programme in Uganda which aims to alleviate hunger, originating from a lack of nutrients in women and children. All money raised will go towards providing seeds and seedlings; rooster hens and training and planning on nutrition and food security.”

Adrian Cummins, CEO of the RAI added, “This campaign is really a win/win situation when one thinks of the many struggling businesses there are in the restaurant sector, particularly in relation to independent retailers. This campaign is all about getting people out to their local eatery and supporting this initiative which will ultimately help those who are struggling to provide food for themselves and their families. The RAI are proud to partner with Gorta on ‘Soup for Life’ and I would urge all of our members to get involved.”

The campaign was a huge success last year, with many fine eateries taking part including the Avoca Group, Cornucopia, Itsa, Wagamama and the Insomnia Coffee Company in Dublin and Café Paradiso, Blair’s Inn, Amicus and The Cornstore in Cork. ‘Soup for Life’ was also supported by Cork’s food entrepreneurs Cully & Sully, who donated 5c per carton of soup sold throughout the week.

For more information log onto www.soupforlife.ie

Soup for Life 2012

2012-01-03T15:02:00.001Z

For the third year running, gorta is getting ready for our exciting spring fundraising initiative - Soup for Life. National Soup Week 2012 takes place from Monday 5th March to Sunday 11th March.

We’re asking soup lovers and foodies alike to help make hunger history by gathering friends, family and colleagues for a fun get together over a pot of soup and make a contribution to gorta’s work fighting hunger in Africa.

Visit www.SoupforLife.ie for more information

A Thank You Video To All Our Participants

2011-05-10T14:40:00.000+01:00

Big Hearty Thank You For Your Soupport!

2011-04-15T16:47:00.006+01:00

National Soup Week 8th - 15th April comes to a close today with thousands of participants eating, drinking and slurping bowls of Soup for Life for the last time. We were thrilled with the massive response. Over 100 venues nationwide donated €1 for each bowl of soup they sold nationwide. We would like to give a big hearty thank you to all those who participated in the campaign helping gorta's work fighting hunger overseas. Soup it Up!

Keep Stirring that Pot!

2011-04-13T09:24:00.007+01:00

Karl's Kitchen in Dundalk showcase how to Soup It Up this week. Karl created four signature soups for the campaign including this sumptuous Parsnip and Chili recipe.

Gemma and Aisya at Avoca Suffolk Street take a break from serving up delicious butternut squash soup and tomato, chili and creme fraiche Soup for Life.

Emma during Wagamama's busy lunchtime trade serving Chicken Ramen Soup for Life this week

Our Soupporters!

2011-04-11T13:43:00.004+01:00

Dairine and Jayne at Cornucopia take a break from serving up Soup for Life to pose for a photo.

Staff members at Wilde and Green giving the thumbs up to the campaign t-shirts

Menuboards taken over by National Soup Week

2011-04-11T09:40:00.010+01:00

A menuboard at KC Peaches on Friday and the lunch specials at Pinocchio.We'll be uploading lots more pictures from Soup for Life as the campaign rolls on.

National Soup Week Starts Here!

2011-04-08T11:10:00.002+01:00

Feel like a bowl of soup? Our Soup for Life campaign kicks off today with venues across Dublin and Cork participating. Each will be donating €1 for each bowl of soup sold and every penny will go to gorta's work fighting hunger overseas. Is it almost lunchtime?...that means it's time for a bowl of Soup for Life!

Check the list on the left for a full list of participants and soup it up!

Ballsbridge Hotels On Board!

2011-04-07T10:02:00.002+01:00

Why not join the D4 hotels for lunch or dinner in any one of their venues and support Soup for Life? The Ballsbridge Inn, The Ballsbridge Towers and The D4 Berkeley will all be donating €1 to gorta for each bowl of soup sold throughout National Soup Week!

The Daily Spud Blends In

2011-04-06T15:12:00.003+01:00

Thanks to Irish Blog Award 2011 Winner The Daily Spud for supporting Soup for Life! They've provided the recipe below for the perfect mushroom soup- check out their interesting blog on all things to do with the glorious spud here :

Mushroom, Celeriac and Potato Soup

What's the secret for a good mushroom soup?

Well, you’d do well to start by using some tasty mushrooms. There are many wonderful varieties of wild mushroom that would do wonders to any soup but, unless you’re given to foraging, these can be expensive and difficult to come by. My solution to making more of an everyday mushroom soup was two-fold (1) use dried shiitake mushrooms, which I find reasonably priced if sourced from an Asian shop (2) use regular white mushrooms or their slightly more flavourful brown cousins (chestnut mushrooms), but concentrate their flavour by frying them in butter until well browned and add them to the soup at the end of cooking.

I will also say that this soup isn’t all about the mushrooms, as there’s plenty of body from the potatoes and celeriac, which is, I think, how I prefer it.

For the soup:

75g dried shiitake mushrooms
vegetable oil for frying
1 smallish onion, about 125g, finely chopped
salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
0.25 tsp dried thyme
approx. 300g potato, peeled and chopped into approx 0.5cm dice
approx. 300g celeriac, skin sliced off and chopped into approx 0.5cm dice
150ml dry white wine (one you’d drink yourself)
200g chestnut or white button mushrooms, wiped clean and finely sliced
butter for frying
2 tsp lemon juice or to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

To garnish (optional):

fresh sage leaves, fried in butter until browned and crispy
chopped flat leaf parsley
grated parmesan

You’ll also need:

A blender or food processor for blending the soup – an immersion blender is handiest.

The Steps:

Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms to remove any dust, then soak in approx. 750ml cold water for several hours or overnight in the fridge, until softened. Alternatively, soak in warm water for 45 minutes to an hour. When softened, remove the stalks from the mushrooms and chop the mushroom caps finely. Reserve the soaking liquid.
Place a large, heavy saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, add enough oil to coat the pan. Add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Stir and fry for 4-5 minutes, until they have turned translucent.
Add the chopped garlic and the thyme and stir and fry for another minute or so.
Stir in the chopped potato and celeriac, and add the white wine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and let the wine simmer for a few minutes to reduce a little.
Add the chopped shiitake mushrooms and the reserved soaking liquid and about 1 tsp salt. Top up with a little water, if needed, to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for around 25 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
While the soup is simmering, fry the chestnut mushrooms. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. You don’t want to crowd the mushrooms too much, so you’ll need to fry them in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your pan. When hot, add about 0.5 tblsp butter to the pan. When that has melted add a layer of mushrooms. Fry for around 8-10 minutes, without stirring, until well browned on the pan-side. Stir and flip the mushrooms over to fry on the other side for a few more minutes, then remove to some kitchen paper and repeat for the next batch(es).
When the vegetables in the soup have softened, remove from the heat and blend. The soup will be quite thick, so thin with additional boiling water as desired. Add the lemon juice, black pepper and additional salt to your taste.
Roughly chop the fried chestnut mushrooms and stir into the soup.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with some crumbled fried sage leaves or chopped flat leaf parsley and a little bit of grated parmesan if you like. Enjoy along with the rest of that bottle of wine you had to open. You know you want to.

The Variations:

If you want a soup that’s more overtly mushroomy, then you could add more shiitake mushrooms here or perhaps some dried and soaked porcini. You could also add a little dried sage along with the dried thyme.

The Results:

Makes around 4 hearty servings of soup

Itsa Morrocan Lentil Soup for Life

2011-04-05T14:05:00.002+01:00

2-Minutes Soups: itsa...bagel from Gorta TV on Vimeo.

Moroccan Spiced Chunky Vegetable and Puy Lentil Soup (Itsa…)

Ingredients:

· 1ltr tomato pulp

· 150g puy lentils soaked

· 100g diced celery

· 100g diced carrot

· 100g diced onion

· 100g diced courgette

· 100g diced pepper

· 2 cloves garlic

· 1 teaspoon of each spice: ground cumin, ground coriander, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, mustard seeds

· ½ teaspoon turmeric

· 1 heaped teaspoon sugar

· 750ml vegetable stock

· 30g fresh chopped coriander (keep some for use as sprig of garnish)

· olive oil

· seasoning to taste

Preparation:

1. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a pot, when warm add all spices and garlic

2. Cook spices to release flavour 1-2 mins

3. Add onion, carrot, celery and lentils – sweat off for a further 5 mins

4. Add tomatoes, stock and sugar. Cook for 5 mins before adding the rest of the vegetables

5. Always keeping the soup at a simmer, never boil. You need to cook the vegetables which should take 10 mins approx

6. Check soup for seasoning and consistency, then add chopped coriander

7. To finish – add a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprig of coriander

Do You Have A Souper Memory?

2011-04-05T09:54:00.004+01:00

An Elephant never forgets but do you? Test out your memory with our gorta Soup for Life memory game!

Cully and Sully

2011-04-02T19:31:00.003+01:00

Can't get to a restaurant during National Soup Week?..why not pop down to your local shop or supermarket? Cully and Sully, Ireland's premier gourmet soup company (among other delicious foods) will be donating 5 cent for each carton of soup they sell during the week. Look out for the 'Soup for Life' sticker on the carton to warm your tummy!

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup for Life..Made to Order!

2011-04-02T14:25:00.008+01:00

While scouring lunch menus for soups, we've come across a few interesting recipes to tickle your palette at home. Check out Olivier from the Schoolhouse's Jerusalem Artichoke Soup recipe made to impress your guests at any Soup for Life party!

In other news, Soup for Life is definitely in season. Check out the list of restaurants on the left to find a venue near you!

Breaking News! Wagamama Jumps in the Pot

2011-03-31T09:53:00.004+01:00

Wagamama in Dublin and Cork will be dining with Soup for Life. They will be donating one euro for each bowl of their delicious chicken ramen soup sold during National Soup Week starting Friday 8th April!

The Dublin city centre restaurant on South King Street opened its doors for the first time in 1998 and they expanded to Cork in 2005. In July 2010, they opened a 2,500sq ft restaurant seating 100 in Blanchardstown

Thanks for Soupporting guys!

The List Keeps On Growing

2011-03-29T13:02:00.006+01:00

From Left: Qlivier Quenet, Schoolhouse, Ballsbridge and La Maison Castle Market; Pol O h'Eannraich, Bloom Brasserie both cooking up Soup for Life

With over seventy restaurants now participating in Dublin and Cork, we're struggling to find somewhere in Dublin or Cork NOT serving up soup for life during National Soup Week 8th - 15th April! Bloom Brasserie, The Schoolhouse, the Mespil Hotel, The D4 Hotel Group and the Dylan Hotel have all been added to give your lunch menu flavour!

Surf and Slurp!

2011-03-28T14:15:00.005+01:00

From the Top: Purty Kitchen, Dun Laoghaire, Ellens Tearooms at Seagreen, Monkstown, FXB Monkstown.

Restaurants in Monkstown and Dun Laoghaire will be surfing and slurping during National Soup week. In Monkstown, Ellens Tearoom and FXB will both be serving Soup for Life. Over in Dun Laoghaire, The Purty Kitchen will be Souping it up. Catch the wave and enjoy a bowl of soup by the seaside!

Don't Forget to Switch Off your Lights

2011-03-25T16:36:00.004Z

Here at Soup for Life, we'll be flicking off our switches tomorrow night in support of Global Earth Hour starting at 8.30pm.

We would love all of our soupporters to join us and do the same!

Click here to find out more about the campaign and the fight against climate change