The soup that will make you question your beliefs

A lot of people are very judgemental when it comes to soup. I am definitely not part of this group. When I was growing up I was surrounded by the opinion that soup is something you eat when you are feeling ill, but I have never let myself get influenced by this thought and more often than not I would be begging my Grandmother’s to make me soup. And let me tell you, it takes a lot to become a soup fan when you grow up in a town where the average temperature is 32 ̊ Celcius. 
Since becoming an inhabitant of the north hemisphere my love for soups has intensified. I could make a list, on the spot, of the hundreds, hundreds of reasons I love soup. Here are a few: 

-A good soup can warm you up in the winter months and cool you down when it’s hot (yes, believe you me, there are some delicious summer soups!) 

-Yesterday’s soup is better than today’s soup. But this is a good thing, imagine leftovers that are better than when they were freshly cooked. 

-I love playing with textures, creamy soups, with bitey vegetable, maybe croutons on top or sprinkled with cheese 

-You only need one pan 

-If you’re pressed for time there is always a recipe where everything can be whizzed together at the end, this way you save time and you don’t need to cut up the vegetables into presentable pieces 

-It’s one plate containing a flavour explosion 

-Great way to use up forgotten vegetables 

-They are just utterly delicious 

The big secret behind soup making is paying extra attention to the stock to vegetable ratio. Whether you use the bouillon version or cubes it is important to carefully adjust the stock to the water quantity. The key is to follow the directions that come on the stock’s pack. A good soup always starts with a good stock.
The recipe below is a family favourite. It has been adapted over time and I’ll admit it takes a little effort and time, but trust me it’s worth it. 

Chicken and tomato soup (serves 6)

1 kg Chicken thighs and drumsticks 

2,5 l chicken or vegetable stock 

2 medium onions 

1 tin (400g) peeled plum tomatoes 

2 medium potatoes or 4 little ones 

1 pepper 

2 cloves of garlic 

3 tbsp oregano 

Chopped red chillies (up to you how much you want to add) 

Pinch of sugar
200g small soup pasta or spaghetti 

Extra salt and pepper to season 

Parmesan to taste 

1.Remove the skin from the chicken, wash it and place it in a pan with the stock over medium heat and cover. As soon as it starts boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer for approximately 40 minutes

2.Meanwhile wash, peel and chop the vegetables. No need to cut up in small pieces as it will all be blended together later

3.After 40 minutes remove chicken from stock and add all other ingredients, apart from the pasta and let it cook for 20 minutes

4.Shred the chicken 

5.After 20 minutes blend soup in a blender, food processor or handheld mixer. Return the soup to pan over heat, add the chicken and pasta and cook for a further 15 minutes

6.Finally season to taste with salt and pepper. Add parmesan when soup is plated and ready to be served. 

It is very important to blend the soup well so that the oregano is chopped thoroughly otherwise it floats on the surface and doesn’t mix with the rest. If you reheat the soup a few times it might thicken up, you can always add more stock.

Let me know if this recipe has changed your mind about soup!