Vegetable soup
Vegetarians may omit the meat!
The vegetable soup below is simply delicious and prepared with vegetables only. The quantities stated are based on regular vegetables but if you use bio products, which are normally much smaller, you will need more items of each kind.
Ingredients:
- 2 big leeks
- 2 big onions
- 4 big carrots
- 4 big courgettes
- 4 potatoes medium size
- a bunch of celery
- 1 kg meat (optional)
- 2 tbs. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- some fresh lemon juice
Cut the meat in small pieces and place it in a large casserole, then add plenty of water. Heat the liquid very slowly without stirring: it should take an hour or more to reach the boil. Remove the grey scum that collects to the surface as it comes to the boil. Pour in a cup of cold water to encourage more scum to rise. Repeat until the scum is replaced by a white froth.
Add the vegetables except the potatoes and the courgettes that should be added 45 minutes before the food is ready, together with the salt and pepper and some more water if needed. The vegetables must be thickly settled into the casserole and the water should just cover them.
When the food is cooked, remove the meat and press the vegetables through a food mill. As you work, ladle the water over them to speed the pureeing process, then put the pieces of meat back into the soup, sprinkle lemon according to your taste and serve. |
