If we had to choose one dish to cook for the rest of our lives, it would probably be soup. It is forgiving, economical, and endlessly adaptable. It fills the kitchen with a lovely smell, and it tastes better the next day. On cold evenings, there is nothing we would rather come home to.
Rather than giving strict recipes, we want to share the soups we make most often and the small habits that make them good.
The everyday vegetable soup
Start by cooking a chopped onion slowly in olive oil until soft and sweet, which takes longer than you think. Add whatever vegetables are in the fridge: carrots, celery, potatoes, a handful of greens. Cover with stock, simmer until tender, and season generously. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of oil.
Roasted squash and ginger
Roast chunks of squash with a little oil until the edges caramelise. Blend with softened onion, grated ginger, and stock until silky. A spoonful of yoghurt or a few toasted seeds on top turns it into something special.
Tomato and white bean
A tin of tomatoes, a tin of beans, garlic, and a sprig of rosemary make a hearty bowl in under half an hour. We often tear in a slice of day-old bread at the end to thicken it, in the Italian style.
Lentil and lemon
Red lentils collapse beautifully into a thick, comforting soup. We cook them with cumin, turmeric, and onion, then add plenty of lemon juice to brighten it up. It is humble, cheap, and surprisingly satisfying.
Small habits that help
- Take time with the onions. Slow cooking builds a deep base flavour.
- Salt as you go, tasting along the way.
- Use good stock or a stock cube you actually like.
- Add acid at the end: lemon juice or a splash of vinegar wakes everything up.
- Finish with something fresh: herbs, seeds, a swirl of cream or oil.
Make a big pot
We nearly always cook more than we need. Leftovers freeze well, and a container of soup in the freezer is one of life’s quiet luxuries on a busy day.
The next cold evening, put a pot on the stove and let the kitchen warm up. Serve it with bread and good company.
