Simple. Satisfying. Soup.

This is the only decent photo I took. I was in too much of a hurry to dive in.

I am a serious believer and lover of soup.
As soon as the evenings start getting even a slightly bit chilly, I happily grab my favorite soup pot, head to the fridge, freezer and cupboard and start concocting soup recipes.
Almost a different one every night.


Sometimes I like to have a base recipe to build on and sometimes I just make it up.  The results are always the same - delicious!

And as my 11 year old niece and 16 year old nephew in California proved last week, kids love soup!  I made the Potimarron Soup (recipe below) and the Bacon, Bean and Pasta Soup (pictured above and recipe below) for them over the course of a few days and they absolutely inhaled them.
At dinner they each had a bowl, then went back for seconds, then for thirds.  Then they ate the leftovers as an after school snack the following day.
I would say that's proof enough.


This simple and satisfying dish can be on the table in about 30 minutes. 
I served it with Parmesan toasts and a green salad.

Bacon, Bean and Pasta Soup
from BBC Good Food
serves 4

• 8 rashers rindless streaky bacon, chopped
• 2 leeks, halved and sliced
• 4 carrots, halved lengthways and sliced
• 400g tin mixed beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 l chicken stock, fresh, cube or concentrate
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 50g small pasta shapes
• a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• grated parmesan, to serve

1. Fry the bacon in a large non-stick pan (it will cook in its own fat) until golden, then add the leeks and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
2. Tip in the beans, chicken stock, tomato purée and pasta and simmer until the pasta is cooked.
3. Stir through the parsley and serve in bowls topped with grated Parmesan.

Looking for more cold weather soup recipes?  Try these:
Corn Chowder
Potimarron Soup
Gumbo
Big Beans and Bitter Greens (Croque-Camille)
Hearty Lentil Soup with Carrots, Tomatoes and Smoked Sausage (Farmgirl Fare)
Split Pea Soup with Caramelized Onions, Hazelnut Oil & Roquefort Breadsticks (Cowgirl Chef) Pin It