MR STRONE SOUP (Soups)

Member Name: shabbie

Product:	Soups
Date:	07/11/01 (156 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick and warming

Disadvantages: None

I wasn't sure whether to put this recipe under Emergency Dinners or Soup, but I suppose most people wouldn't class soup as a dinner, although this one could be, so here we have Emergency Soup.

My story begins on a cold winter night, when the gales were howling and the snow was drifting higher and higher. Suddenly, with no warning, we were in darkness. A power-cut. We lit a few candles, and waited, but after half an hour or so, it was evident we were in for a long haul, as is a regular feature when you live out in the wilds with overhead powerlines. The house grew colder as the central heating faded, so off hubbie went, torch in hand, out to the byre to collect some peat, which we keep there for emergencies. Soon we had a warming fire glowing in the lounge, and I had a sudden longing for a warming bowl of soup, so with oil lamp in hand, I set off for the kitchen.

Thankfully my cooker runs on LPG (calor gas), but much use that was going to be when I found my vegetable rack almost empty. Two onions and a sad rubber carrot. But, soup I wanted, and soup I would have. So I checked the cupboards and the freezer, and soon I had what I thought might work, and the biggest pot I could find, which is even larger than my pressure cooker pot. So, with speed in mind, here is my recipe.

MR STRONE SOUP.

4 Knor Pasta Stock Cubes (Chicken/Vegetable cubes also work) Use 2 cubes in normal pot.
Half fill Pot with water
Tin of Tomatoes
Frozen Peas
Frozen Cabbage
Frozen Cauliflower
Frozen any other vegetable you fancy
2 Onions chopped (or more or less depending on taste).
Macaroni or any other pasta
Tomato Puree

Put stock cubes in water and bring to the boil. If chicken or vegetable cubes are used, I usually add some garlic or garlic paste. Add tin of tomatoes (I usually stick a knife in the tin and chop them up), chopped onions, then handfuls of each selected frozen veg. Next put in a couple of handf
uls of Pasta, stirring on and off thereafter to stop pasta from clumping. Add salt and pepper to your taste, and finally the whole tube or tin of tomato puree. At this point, once all the ingredients are in the pot, top up with water. Simmer for about 15 mins until pasta and veg are soft, and you have one large pot of Mr Strone soup. I usually add quite a lot of everything so that it is a very thick soup.

To serve with the soup, toast some bread, and spread with butter (or your usual spread) which has some garlic paste mixed through it. A couple of bowls of this soup and a few slices of garlic toast, is a complete meal on it's own.

Now you may wonder why I haven't given exact quantities, but that is the type of cook I am, especially when in a freezing kitchen lit only by a flickering light. I like to use the ingredients I prefer, and tend to judge quantities. I never use exact quantities, especially when making soup. So, go on, be brave, have a bash at making your very own Mr Strone Soup. You could even try it with all the lights out and a couple of flickering candles.

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