Baby, it's cold outside.....

Well, actually, for mid November it isn't cold at all. What it is though is wet, wet, wet. My favourite time of the year is usually now through to March, the fresh air and biting winds whipping around give me a euphoric feeling of being alive. I am feeling a bit cheated at the minute, lol, but apparently the cold weather is on its way. My walks with my little Jack Russell are a rather muddy affair at present and I am truly looking forward to the hardness of the earth underfoot, crispness of the fallen leaves and not having to shower off Alfie after nearly every outing, lol.

My fondness of soup is also heightened when consumed after a cold wind-whipped walk, few things are as comforting as wrapping cold hands round a big mug/ bowl of steaming hot soup - broths, consommes, thick creamy smooth or chunky. Soup, a great big hug in nutritional yumminess. I make soup nearly every day in autumn and winter, a couple of times a week in spring and once a week in summer. It is a staple of the home, welcoming guests and family members with love. It is so simple a meal to make with a never ending range of flavours.

My favourite soups are :-

Split pea and ham.

Carrot and coriander.

Artichoke and parsley.

Italian mixed bean.

Creamy chicken and mushroom.

Todays offering is tomato and lentil. It smells yummy and I am looking forward to a big bowl in about another half hour.

Tomorrows offering is going to be chicken and mushroom as I have chicken out for tonights dinner.

My name is Shellie and I am A SOUPAHOLIC. 😆😂😉😊☺️😋

[Hidden]

Hi Shellie, a great post and one that celebrates life

A small complaint though. One of my favourites did not make your top list, Leek and Potato with thin strips of salmon dropped in at the last moment or even dropped into the piping hot soup in the bowl. The heat from the soup cooks the salmon to perfection.

A great post Shellie

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Leek and potato is a rather fine soup, I must admit. The variety of deliciousness is endless isn't it? I have also had pointed out by my son that my garlic soup didn't make my 'top list'. Truth be told I had forgotten about it, but now it has been hilighted by said son I am fancying a bowl. The oven isn't going on today though nor tomorrow, so until it does go on I am just going to have to look forward to it, lol. You have to roast 8 full bulbs of garlic to make it. The taste is actually very subtle though as roasting garlic takes the 'sting' from it. 😊

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

The garlic one really appeals to me and I shall be looking for recipes Do you use the large Elephant garlic or the smaller more common variety?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Just your 'common or garden' variety lol. ( quite literally in my case as I grow garlic). I will post the recipe, it might appeal to others too. 😊

[rammsteinqueen]

Wow - your post has really got me motivated to make some soup! Oh and this weekend the biting cold winds will be back - enjoy

[trafford1]

Your post has just warmed me right up Shellie, thank you they all sound so yummy and just what is needed at this time of the year. Not looking forward to going out tonight, last night I literally got blown down the road lol. Better face up to it, got my bobble hat ear muffs and gloves at the ready

enjoy them all hun x

[Hidden in reply to trafford1]

The dog and myself had a very blowy walk this morning, we trudged over the fields were are totally open. By gum it fair took your breath away, lol. Poor Alfie was quite bemused to realise that the faster he ran the more likely he was quite literally bowled off his feet. I'm thinking of renaming him Tumbleweed, hehehe. Tonights walk will be through the streets of the village. 😆

[trafford1 in reply to Hidden]

Just got back in and it wasn't as bad tonight as yesterday. Ear muffs and bobble hat came in very handy as it was very cold brrrrr. Enjoy your walk with Alfie and lets hope his feet stay firmly on the ground

[Hidden]

It was actually really still out tonight and the sky very clear, though the air was a little colder. I still only had a fleece jacket on, though from what the news said earlier Saturday is set to plummet with the temperature - glove and scarf weather from then on, woohoo. 😊

[Diana]

Not great on liquid foods, yep I hate gravy and custard, soup ok!

Celeriac chips are fab, par boil peeled celeriac chip wedges, sprinkle with olive oil, cumin and coriander and bake for 20 mins in hot oven, very low cal too.

Don't fight our beloved slow cookers st this time of year too

[Tinkle72]

Any good soup recipes that you would share would be most kindly received. Love soup for lunch this time of year - just never found a good recipe and rely on tinned or supermarket fresh diet soups! Have recently made soup of leftovers which worked really well. Only been on the nhs plan for a couple of weeks.

[Hidden in reply to Tinkle72]

Hi hun, look back over some of my posts as I have posted a few soup recipes, as have a few other folk on here. I will post some more as I make them ( easier to jot down as I make, never used to weigh what went in but do now so that I can give calories too). My advice is experiment with things you have to use up, making a note as you do it so if it is a 'winner' you remember what you put in. I have even made a wonderful soup from the peelings for Sunday dinner!! Parsnip, carrot and the discarded stalks from the broccoli and caulie ( I just added a leek and made a litre of stock from 2 veg stock cubes) when it was cooked I blitzed it until smooth, it was lovely. 😊

[Hidden]

I have a great alternative to carrot and coriander - sweat some onion, celery and carrots for ages then boil it all up with veg stock, not too strong (e.g. half a veg oxo cube), to let the carrot flavour come through. I added some butternut squash as I had some knocking around - this was good, made it thicker. Also toasted and crushed some coriander seeds and added them in. Whizzed it all smooth and froze in portions - reheated in the microwave to have with my lunch - smelled and tasted great, have three more portions to go, wll def be making some more

[Tinkle72]

Thank you both for your replies. I will look back and also use the recipies suggested.

[jen_d]

They sound delicious and ideal for taking into work. Do you have any recipes as I'm not the best cook