insideKENT Magazine Issue 32 - November 2014 | Page 49

FOOD+DRINK

SOUP:

The Soup-er Food

by Lisamarie Lamb

The leaves have fallen, the air is crisp and chill, our breath streams out in front of us as
soon as we dare step outside into the on-the-edge-of-winter dimness. Christmas is
coming. There’s the hint of snow (according to the weather reporters, although it may
never actually materialise), and the gritters are threatening to run out of salt.
It’s that time of year again. It’s soup time.
Soup. That wonderfully warming, ultimately cosy,
perfect comfort food that we’ve all grown up
with. Soup in the summer just isn’t the same as
snuggling up on the sofa with a bowl full of the
stuff, piping hot. Whether from a tin or
homemade, soup is fabulous.
The art of making soup is an ancient one, with
evidence of it being made as far back as
20,000BC, when Neanderthal man began to
combine ingredients to make their sparse diet
taste that little bit better. Rather than boiling the
liquid over their fires, they instead placed all of
the ingredients into a dried animal skin and

cooked it until the liquid thickened. It was
particularly useful since every part of the animal
could be used, even the bones, which meant
that there was no wastage, and no by-products
for wild beasts to find that would lead them to
where the Neanderthals were based. It also
meant that plants that were poisonous when
eaten raw became safe through boiling. And
soup was born.
The idea of soup remained a constant throughout
history. It was easy to make, and cheap too,
since it was usually made of anything that
happened to be left over and lying around. Yet
it was filling, which meant that those eating it
would be energised enough to continue striving

on the land. It could be said that our current
farming industry was built on a bowl of soup; it
wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration.
As ancient man spread out across the world,
each country developed its own variation on the
basic soup recipe, depending on what the land
would yield and which animals were most plentiful.
In Eastern Europe this dish became borscht (a
tomato and beetroot-based soup). In Italy it was
minestrone (a vegetable soup with pasta or rice
to thicken it). In Spain they made gazpacho (a
cold soup with a tomato base). But wherever
you are in the world, soup (most probably derived
from the word ‘sup’) is instantly recognisable.

Traditional Leek and Potato Soup
When you want something filling and delicious, good old leek and potato soup will never let you down. Here’s
how to make a version that’s low in fat but full of flavour, plus it has a lovely added twist. It takes around 45
minutes from start to finish, and can be prepared in advance.

Ingredients
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
• 3 large leeks (trimmed, cleaned, and roughly chopped)
• 900g potatoes (peeled and roughly chopped)
• 30g unsalted butter
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 8 unsmoked streaky bacon rashers
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Once hot, add the potatoes, leeks,
onions, and butter. Cook until beginning to soften (around 5 to 10 minutes).
2. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Cover and allow to
simmer for around 20 minutes.
3. While the soup is bubbling away, grill the bacon (if you are using it) until
it’s nice and crispy, then cut into small pieces.
4. Once the soup is cooked enough, pop it all into a blender or food processer
and whiz until smooth.
5. Pour into bowls and top with the bacon and parsley. To really round it
off why not drizzle a little olive oil on the top and season with black pepper?
If you would rather not use bacon then cr