7
minestrone soup
25g (1oz) butter
½ clove garlic, crushed
1 leek, sliced
1 small carrot, chopped small
1 medium potato, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
½ celery stick, thinly sliced
50g (2oz) cabbage, finely shredded
200g (7oz) canned tomatoes including juice
salt and pepper to taste
300ml (½pt) chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 bouquet garni
25g (1oz) thin cut macaroni
Heat the butter in a large pan. Add the garlic, leek, carrot, potato, onion and celery. Sauté till the
butter is absorbed. Add the other ingredients, except the macaroni. Bring to the boil, transfer to
the cookpot and cook for the time shown. 45 minutes before serving, remove the bay leaf and
bouquet garni and add the macaroni. Adjust seasoning and serve with grated parmesan.
Scotch broth
175g (6oz) scrag end lamb, cut into pieces
500ml (1pt) water
100g (4oz) turnip, cut to small dice
25g (1oz) pearl barley
100g (4oz) carrots, cut into small dice
1 onion, sliced
1 leeks, thinly sliced
chopped parsley to garnish
salt and pepper to taste
Put the lamb in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Remove scum. Add the other
ingredients, except the parsley. Bring to the boil, transfer to the cookpot, and cook for the time
shown. Remove the bones, trim off any meat and return it to the broth. Adjust seasoning and
sprinkle with parsley.
French onion soup
25g (1oz) butter or margarine
225g (8oz) onions, sliced
450ml (¾pt) chicken stock
1 bay leaf
4 slices French bread
75g (3oz) grated cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter/margarine in a large pan and fry the onions till golden brown. Add stock, bay
leaf and season to taste. Bring to the boil, transfer to the cookpot, and cook for the time shown.
Remove the bay leaf. To serve: sprinkle slices of French bread with grated cheese and float on
top of the soup. Remove the cookpot and brown under a hot grill till the cheese bubbles.
Alternatively, toast the cheese on the bread and then float on top of the soup.
old fashioned vegetable soup
225g (½lb) mixed vegetables, chopped (potato, onion, carrot, celery etc.)
25g (1oz) butter
2 tbsp flour
200ml (½pt) stock
½ tsp mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter in a pan and fry the vegetables gently for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour and add
the stock. Bring to the boil, season to taste and add mixed herbs. Transfer to the slow cooker.
vegetables
Slow cooking is ideal for vegetables. There’s little evaporation, so all the juices and flavours are
retained.
Oddly enough, root vegetables like potato, carrot, turnip, and swede, need more slow cooking
than meat. Cut them into 5mm (¼”) slices, sticks or dice, and immerse in the cooking liquid.
Cooking times vary with the type and age of the vegetables. Experience will soon show the best
times for your own taste. Quickly cooked vegetables, like frozen peas and sweetcorn, must be
thawed, then added half an hour before the end of cooking. Don’t slow cook baked potatoes in
their jackets.
set hours
1
7-10
2
4-5
set hours
1
10-14
2
7-9
set hours
1
6-10
2
3-4
set hours
1
8-10
2
4-6
