A warming, flavoursome soup can be added to any meal, or can even be a hearty meal in itself. Chunky, creamy, low-fat, spicy, sweet, hot, or even cold. Oh, there must be millions of soups to drive away the winter chills.

Did you know in 1775 the first soup shop opened in Paris - selling soup as an antidote to physical exhaustion, and in 1897 the condensed soup got invented by a chemist, Dr John T Dorrance, for the ‘Campbell Soup Company’?

Nutritious and Delicious

Get souped-up - it’s a great way to use the leftovers of those unused vegetables, even that pot of peas you don’t know what to do with, and perhaps adding some bacon bits or even that lone slice of ham in the back of the fridge can be chopped up and added. You could boil up the chicken bones from your last roast dinner to make a good broth – just remember to pick out the bones after boiling, and you will be astonished at how much meat you might have found, which can be left in the broth to add even more flavour.

Add in some stock cubes for added flavour – and if you choose reduced-sodium or salt-free ones, add in more herbs and spices for flavour.

You can add more vegetables if you feel comfortable going off your chosen recipe. Not only does this add more vitamins, minerals, and fibre, it makes the soup heartier. And all sorts can be added – beans, lentils, onions, and any kind of potato or some chickpeas will add some substance to watery soup - or turn it into a meal.

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Creamy Soup

Use evaporated milk in place of cream if the recipe calls for it, as creamy soups tend to be high in fat. With less water, evaporated milk provides a familiar flavour and thickness to soups without the fat.

Not even I can spoil a soup, and I am no cook to speak of. I just throw in all my favourite ingredients, including some The Husband doesn’t like (cauliflower being one he considers the veg of the devil himself) but if he can’t see it, it isn’t there! Add a few drops of Portugal’s famous piri piri sauce for an extra kick. Or not. Slow cook. Or not. Blend it together or leave chunky. Add butter if you wish- and voila! - a tasty soup is ready. Anybody can cook soup. And survive on it, if needed. Nobody can really tell what’s in it - and that’s good - mothers have been doing this for years, hiding all those yukky but nutritious veggies in soups that kids would normally turn up their noses at.

A cure for colds?

Chicken soup is said to be a cure for colds, and modern research has shown that this, more than other hot liquid, increases mucus flow and helps the body rid itself of the cold virus, as chicken is rich in a compound called carnosine, that studies suggest helps reduce that stuffy, congested feeling in your nose and throat.

Most countries have a traditional favourite, and one of America’s favourites is Pumpkin Soup, a recipe you can easily replicate here simply using squash. Another is Bean Soup, made with a boiled ham hock, sausages or even minced beef. Add in celery, onions, garlic, a chicken stock cube, and as many bean varieties as you can find, but make sure dried beans are soaked overnight first, or alternatively, use them straight from a can.

Many countries have their own speciality, and Portugal’s own favourite is Caldo Verde (green soup). Every restaurant and home must have its own recipe, but it’s basically a traditional soup made with potatoes, chouriço sausage, and thinly sliced collard greens or kale. Hearty, homely, cheap - and as comforting as a mother’s hug.

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan