By REN BEHAN.
Pulses, lentils, rice or potatoes can be added to make a thicker, more substantial meal; stretching out some very simple ingredients even further, but still keeping things gluten free.
Start with a base of onions, carrots and celery and sweat them in a large pan with a tiny drizzle of oil until golden and soft.
You can then chop and add almost any vegetables of your choice.
Cover them with a good-quality stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Cook in oven on low-heat for 2 to 4 hours.
Across Central and Eastern Europe, root vegetable soups really come into their own during the colder months, with a few humble vegetables coming together to make a quick “one-pot” meal.
Potatoes are one of the most versatile and brilliant ingredients in soup.
I’ve shared my recipe below for one of our favourites; a German potato soup known as kartoffelsuppe.
This comforting soup is a magnificent example of how some very basic, budget-friendly ingredients can be elevated into an incredibly cosy, fireside supper.
Serves 8
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 large leek, washed, and chopped
3 medium size potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 a head of sweetheart cabbage, sliced
1 tablespoon marjoram
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 litre/4 cups vegetable stock
A small piece of German sausage, to garnish (optional)
Fresh parsley
Method
Put the onion, celery, leek and carrots into a large saucepan, add a splash of olive oil and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until they have softened.
For the slow cooker/crock pot version, transfer the vegetables into your slow cooker, add in the potatoes and cabbage, sprinkle with marjoram and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Pour over the stock cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 hours on a low heat setting or 4-5 hours on a higher heat setting.
If you are cooking the soup on the stovetop, add the potatoes and cabbage to the partly cooked vegetables, sprinkle with marjoram and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Pour over the stock. To boil.
Place the pot in the oven T 200C for 15 min.
Lower the heat to 110C and simmer for 2 to 4 hours, covered.
Check that the potatoes are soft.
At this stage, you can either serve the soup as it is, or else gently mash some of the vegetables and add them back on, or puree the soup with a stick blender.
To garnish, finely slice the German sausage and fry it gently in a small frying pan.
Serve the soup with the sausage and a sprinkle of fresh flat leaf parsley and dill.
Pulses, lentils, rice or potatoes can be added to make a thicker, more substantial meal; stretching out some very simple ingredients even further, but still keeping things gluten free.
Start with a base of onions, carrots and celery and sweat them in a large pan with a tiny drizzle of oil until golden and soft.
You can then chop and add almost any vegetables of your choice.
Cover them with a good-quality stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Cook in oven on low-heat for 2 to 4 hours.
Across Central and Eastern Europe, root vegetable soups really come into their own during the colder months, with a few humble vegetables coming together to make a quick “one-pot” meal.
Potatoes are one of the most versatile and brilliant ingredients in soup.
I’ve shared my recipe below for one of our favourites; a German potato soup known as kartoffelsuppe.
This comforting soup is a magnificent example of how some very basic, budget-friendly ingredients can be elevated into an incredibly cosy, fireside supper.
Serves 8
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 large leek, washed, and chopped
3 medium size potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 a head of sweetheart cabbage, sliced
1 tablespoon marjoram
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 litre/4 cups vegetable stock
A small piece of German sausage, to garnish (optional)
Fresh parsley
Method
Put the onion, celery, leek and carrots into a large saucepan, add a splash of olive oil and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until they have softened.
For the slow cooker/crock pot version, transfer the vegetables into your slow cooker, add in the potatoes and cabbage, sprinkle with marjoram and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Pour over the stock cover with the lid and cook for 6-8 hours on a low heat setting or 4-5 hours on a higher heat setting.
If you are cooking the soup on the stovetop, add the potatoes and cabbage to the partly cooked vegetables, sprinkle with marjoram and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Pour over the stock. To boil.
Place the pot in the oven T 200C for 15 min.
Lower the heat to 110C and simmer for 2 to 4 hours, covered.
Check that the potatoes are soft.
At this stage, you can either serve the soup as it is, or else gently mash some of the vegetables and add them back on, or puree the soup with a stick blender.
To garnish, finely slice the German sausage and fry it gently in a small frying pan.
Serve the soup with the sausage and a sprinkle of fresh flat leaf parsley and dill.
