“Anyone who tells a lie has not pure heart and cannot make good soup.” Said Ludvig van Beethoven. Mozart, and Nigel Slater for that matter, probably would have agreed too.
Please put down that tin of tomato, fling away that sachet of dusty mushroom, don’t you dare tear open that dreary packet of chicken noodle and roll that tin of winter veg back where it came from. Soup should never be boring. Let it take centre stage, for it can be mighty.
Don’t get me wrong, I grew up with these classics. I’ve toiled with the art of diluting condensed cream of mushroom. Sloshing the dirty grey contents in a pan, stirring my heart out, waiting for that moment of emulsification. I’ve lived lunch times with packet Italian vegetable. The scorchingly hot contents of a mug taking layers off of my gums, only to find a third of the undiluted mix stuck to the bottom of Cadbury’s Wispa cup.
But no more.
Now I take time out and make sure that soup is king, queen and the neighbourhood cat that everyone loves, soup is the first person that you invite to a party…
Soup is gold.
This tasty bowl of goodness features butternut squash, gammon, cavolo nero and orzo. All bathing in a life affirming broth that’s pepped up with clove, sage, wholegrain mustard, balsamic vinesgar, chicken stock and a shot of black peppercorns. Served with a little buttered sourdough.
Yesterday’s soup can be today’s dreamy lunch… I figure that if you combine Parmesan, feta cheese, crispy onions and sprinkle it on anything, it immediately ramps a dish up to 11.
I could eat this giant couscous and veg soup everyday. But to be fair, it’s more of risotto once you’ve stirred creme fraiche or skyr through it and thickened with a cheese of your choice.
Now go, run free, find your perfect soup and sing out about its beauty!
Soup is gold.
nick hook photography 