November has come: the darkest and bleakest of the autumn months, before the cold rains and mid-afternoon sunsets of winter in St Andrews set in. The world is getting chillier and the sky is getting darker. Scarves come out of closets, and you can’t help but feel the need to make something that will warm you up from the inside.
For me, autumn is the time for soup. If I learned anything from cooking with my flatmates and family, it is that soup is one of the easiest and most heartwarming recipes you can make. Even the most inexperienced cook can quickly whip together something tasty. Most good soup is built from the ground up.
Step 1: The Base
First, you need to prep the base: the root vegetables of your soup. My flatmate’s favourite combo, which I have adopted, is carrots, onions and celery, diced in 1cm squares. You can use any root vegetable though: I sometimes use a combination of diced beets (boiled or raw), onions and carrots, or I’ll add potatoes. You can dice these vegetables, grate them, chop them thinly into matchsticks… the world is your oyster here. Once you’ve cut these however you please, heat up some olive oil in a pot and add your veggies. Simmer these until they are soft, usually about 5 minutes.
Step 2: The Spice
Nothing can really call itself heartwarming without some spice or flavour in it, and there are limitless options to what you can do in this step. Once I deem my veggies soft enough, I like to add some finely chopped garlic to the pot and cook until it starts to smell good – about 1 minute. Sometimes I’ll throw in a sprig of rosemary or thyme. Sometimes, I’ll just add black pepper. If you enjoy spice, add that in now. It all depends on what your favourite spices and herbs are, and what goes with the veggies you’ve used. Recently, I’ve discovered the wonderful world of cooking with wine: if this is something you’d like to incorporate, add a small glass in and let it evaporate for 1-3 minutes. Now is also a good time to boil your kettle for the next step.
Step 3: The Broth
Once your veggies are looking soft and flavourful, add your boiling water. I add enough water to cover about 3-5cm above where my vegetables end: this usually works out to be between 800ml-1000mls, but it also depends on how many veggies you’ve chopped, and how many portions you’re looking to make. Optionally, you can add a vegetable stock pot or cube. This step is not necessary, but it really adds to the flavour of the soup. Everybody deserves a flavourful soup, even if you can’t make your own vegetable broth.
Step 4: The Grain (optional)
Bring your concoction to a boil, then turn your heat way down. Cover your soup with a lid, and let it simmer for anywhere between 20-40 minutes. Your soup will be delicious as is, but if you’d like to give your vegetables some company in the form of pasta, lentils, barley, or any other grain, you can sneak them in partway through the boiling process. Follow the instructions for boiling the specific grain you’re adding, and calculate adding it to your soup so that they finish cooking at the same time. Give it a little taste test, and your soup should be ready to warm even the coldest of hearts.
This basic recipe is very easy to change and experiment with until you get your favourite version of this simple vegetable soup. My favourite thing about these four steps is how easily they demonstrate the uniqueness of everyone’s cooking style. There is a kind of togetherness to soup because it is so easy to share. This autumn, why not try a new soup recipe and find warmth as autumn turns into winter.