Chicken & Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup

Chicken & Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup

Chicken & Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup:

How to Make homemade – Chicken & Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup

It is a pleasure to share this recipe of a nutritious healthy soup that is full of flavour as well as goodness.

A perfect combination of ingredients ensures a spectacular mouth-watering taste that gives this soup a wow factor. Of course (if there is any left!!!) you can freeze it.


Serves:
8 – 10 portions

 


Great For:
lunch OR dinner

 


Cooking Time:
2 hours

 

Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

Watch on YouTube: Click Here.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken
  • large onion x 1
  • Broccoli – 1 large breakfast bowl 
  • Cauliflower – 1 large breakfast bowl
  • Carrots – ½ breakfast bowl
  • 25g butter
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • cumin – 1 tsp
  • ginger – 1 tsp
  • Salt & pepper
  • mixed herbs – 2 tsp

Chicken & Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup -Method – Instructions

 

In a large saucepan, boil half a pot of water.

Carefully place the whole chicken upside down into the hot water. However, if you don’t have a big enough pot then you can break off the legs and wings and cook separately.

The water needs to fully cover all the chicken.

And check your water level every now and then as you may need to top it up so you know the chicken is covered with water to ensure all the chicken is cooked properly.

Put the lid on the pot.

Bring to the boil and then let simmer for about 1 ½ hours.

In the meantime while your chicken is cooking prepare everything else for your Soup

Peel and dice the onion.

Cut up broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.

You can dice the carrots, or cut circle or half moons. Or you can mix different cuts. It is up to you. For this video I used half moons.

Once the chicken is cooked

When the chicken is cooked, you can take it out the pot.

I use two big spoons with holes in and I pick up the whole chicken with the spoons, hold it above the pot for a few seconds to let the juice drain.

Carefull, bring the chicken over to a plate and place it down gently and let it cool a little for 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain the chicken juice or stock through a sieve into a large bowl to get rid of any unwanted bits.

Next part of making your tasty homemade chicken & broccoli & cauliflower soup

Wash the saucepan up that you cooked the chicken in.

Into your clean pot, place the butter and melt it on a low heat.

Add the onions to the melted butter and add celery if you wanted to at this point but you don’t need to add celery.

Put a lid on and let the onions sweat for 5 minutes.

Now add the broccoli, cauliflower and carrots to the pot.

Then you need to add your chicken stock.

I personally managed to get 1 ½ litres of chicken stock. You can always add water. It just depends on the size of you pot.

Once the chicken has cooled a little, take the skin off the chicken and take all the good pieces of chicken and put to one side in a bowl or on a plate.

There is lots of good chicken meat at the back of the chicken as well as the legs, wings and breast.

This can be done with a fork, however if you are using your hands, do make sure the chicken is cooled down first.

Add your chicken pieces once the vegetables have been brought to the boil.

To your soup, add 1 stock cube, a vegetable or chicken stock cube is fine.

Although it is still full of flavour if you don’t add a stock cube, so totally optional.

Season the soup with cayenne pepper, cumin, ginger, mixed herbs salt and pepper.

Put the lid on and cook on a medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you need to top it up with more water you can.

To Make Chicken Stock for Future Use

For to make chicken stock for any future cooking, then either boil up the bones and carcass in water for an hour or so or you can put the bones and carcass in a slow cooker, top up with water and leave over night.

Drain the juice through a seive and discard the unwanted bones and other pieces.

This chicken stock can then be put into little tubs or ice-cube trays and frozen once cooled.

Homemade chicken stock can be used for soup, stews or making homemade gravy and other sauces.

Would You Liquidise Your Chicken & Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup?

The chicken & broccoli & cauliflower soup can be liquidised or left as it is.

I personally love to partially liquidise my chicken & broccoli & cauliflower soup, so it still has a few small lumps in and not completely smooth.

But there is no right or wrong way, it is down to your personal preference of how you like it.

Once your chicken & broccoli & cauliflower soup is ready, garnish with some fresh parsley if you want.

Serve and enjoy

If you would like a recipe to make some wonderful homemade bread to go with it click HERE.

Happy Cooking

Sharon

LifeStyle With Sharon

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Lentil Soup – Homemade Soup Recipe

Lentil Soup – Homemade Soup Recipe

Lentil Soup Recipe:

Lentil soup is a wonderful soup to make.

It is very easy to make and the lentil soup has tremendous flavour.

And lentil soup is extremely good for our health. Lentils have lots of nutritional value.

Cooking with lentils is easy. They don’t need soaking, they just need a rinse.

For this lentil soup I used red lentils but you can use red, brown, green, yellow or black lentils. When choosing your colour lentil for your lentil soup it will alter the colour accordingly.

Either way they are all full of goodness. Lentils are rich in Iron and are an excellent source of protein. Lentils are a great source of fibre too.

I love this lentil soup recipe as it is so delicious, easy to make and it is a very healthy meal, perfect for a lunch or dinner.

You can also freeze this lentil soup too, making it a very practical recipe.

For those living alone it is a perfect way of making a healthy meal once and you can freeze it in individual portions for future uses by just heating it up. With this lentil soup recipe you would probably get about six meals which is great.

And of course those of you with a few in the household, it is perfect too.

I love one pot dinners, less washing up and easy to dish out to your guests or family and you can always just leave the pot on the table and let everyone help themselves.

It is easy and tasty to just heat up your lentil soup the next day (if there is any left of course).

For more great recipes do check out the other blogs.

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Serves:
6 portions

 


Great For:
Dinner or Lunch

 


Cooking Time:
30 – 40 mins

 

Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

Watch on YouTube: Click Here.

Ingredients

  • 300g Or 2 large carrot
  • 160g or 1 large onion
  • 350g or 3 medium potatoes
  • 400g lentils of your choice
  • 20g butter
  • 4 stock cubes
  • 1 ½ litre water
  • Or you can use homemade stock
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ tsp of black or white pepper
  • 2 bay leaves (optional)

Lentil Soup Recipe – Method & Instructions

When you are chopping your vegetable a good tip is to put a tea-towel under your chopping board and this will stop your chopping board moving as you are using your knife to cut. It is safer.

I like to cut and prepare my vegetables and put in some dishes ready for use.

Firstly peel and dice the onion. To prevent your eyes watering cut the onion in half from root end to the other end. Then cut the opposite to the root end off. Keep the root end intact. See the video for a visual explanation.

Secondly peel carrots and chop off one end, keeping one end intact so you have something to hold, so you don’t end up grating your fingers. Then grate the carrot.

Thirdly peel and cut your potatoes. You can out them in water until you are ready to use them. Keeping them in water stops them going black.

Next you need to put your lentils into a sieve and rinse them under the tap.

You can make your stock by placing stock cubes in water.

If you wanted to make your own stock for the lentil soup, you can use water from previously boiled vegetables.

Making your own chicken stock is an a option too, to make a chicken stock then use the bones from a chicken and either boil them in water or put bones and water in a slow cooker and leave overnight. This gives lovely chicken stock. Another way is to boil a chicken in a large pot and use the water as your stock.

Preparation for your Lentil Soup is done – Now let’s make it

Now in a pot melt some butter and add your onion. Mix the onion into the butter, put the lid on and let them sauté for 5 minutes. Keep on a low heat.

After you have cooked your onion for five minutes, add your grated carrot to the pot.

Then add your potatoes to the pot.

Season the lentil soup with salt and pepper.

Add the rinsed lentils, keeping on a low heat and give all the ingredients a good mix.

Pour the stock into the pot and turn up the heat to bring it to the boil. Add in bay leaves.

Once brought to the boil, turn heat down to low again, put the lid on and simmer, stirring occasionally.

Cook for about 20 – 30 minutes.

The lentil soup is meant to be nice and thick but if you feel it is too thick, just add a little water.

Personally I love the soup like this with but if you prefer the go ahead and liquidise it. Some people love it smooth and others love it with bits in, personal preference.

For more lovely soup recipes, see the soup playlist on YouTube.

And for more delicious recipes check out our other blogs.

Enjoy your Lentil Soup.

Happy Cooking

Sharon

LifeStyle With Sharon

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Spicy Bean Soup – Homemade Healthy Soup

Spicy Bean Soup – Homemade Healthy Soup

Spicy Bean Soup:

Spicy Bean Soup is extremely healthy and has a wonderful warm wholesome flavour.

This spicy bean soup is very simple to make and if you make a big a pot full and everyone doesn’t devour it straight away then it can be frozen.

If you live on your own then it is the perfect dinner to freeze into individual portions. Take the spicy bean soup out of the freezer and heat it up as you want it. There is no excuse for not eating healthy if you live alone. With this recipe it is simple to make a big batch and you will get enough for 6 meals all together.

A big pot full of the gorgeous spicy bean soup is excellent if you have a family or are having guests for dinner.

In fact having a dinner party with this spicy bean soup means that you don’t have to leave your guests for long while you dish up their dinner, as you can have it all cooked before they arrive. And just heat it up or leave it in a slow cooker and let your guests help themselves.

For other dinner ideas check out the Mains Blog Page. If you want an idea for afters check out the Dessert Blogs Page.  

A perfect combination of ingredients ensures a spectacular mouth-watering taste that gives this soup a wow factor. Of course (if there is any left!!!) you can freeze it.


Serves:
6 people

 


Great For:
lunch OR dinner

 


Cooking Time:
40 – 50 mins

 

Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

Watch on YouTube: Click Here.

Ingredients

  • ¼ tube tomato puree
  • olive oil for frying
  • 1 onion (160g/1 Cup)
  • 1 large carrot (170g/2 Cups)
  • 45g (1/2 Cup) sugar snap peas
  • 2 large spring onion (20g/1/3 Cup)
  • 50g (1/3 Cup) red lentils from packet
  • 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 stock cube
  • 50g (4 tbsp) butter
  • 70g (1/2 Cup) tinned kidney beans
  • 75g (1/2 Cup) tinned black beans
  • 130g (1 Cup) tinned green lentils
  • 1 can of chick peas
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes (1 for hotter)
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (1/2 for hotter)
  • ½ thyme
  • 2 tsp basil
  • 1 tbsp parsley

Spicy Bean Soup – Method & Instructions

Prepare your ingredients as follows and put to one side ready for use.

Peel and dice the onion.

Remove the skin of the garlic by hitting hard on the flat of the knife to release the skin so it makes it easy to peel. Finely chop the garlic or crush them in a garlic crusher.

Grate the carrot with or without the skin. Only cut one end off the carrot and grate it holding that intact end so you don’t grate your fingers.

Some people peel the carrot some don’t, I personally don’t. I would just give the carrot a good wash and leave the skin on. The skin is edible and full of goodness. But it is up to you what you prefer.

Cut the ends of the sugar snap peas and then slice diagonally.

Slice the spring onion into sliced round circles. And it is perfectly ok to use the green bit too.

Drain and rinse all the tinned (canned) beans.

How To Cook Spicy Bean Soup

Melt the butter in a large pot.

Once the butter is melted, add the onion then put the lid on sauté on a low heat for a few minutes.

Take the lid off and add the tomato puree and mix with a wooden spoon.

Season with salt, pepper, turmeric, paprika, chilli flakes and stir with a wooden spoon.

Add ½ cup of water.

Continue seasoning with cayenne pepper, thyme, basil and parsley.

If it is dry add a tiny bit more water.

To the onion mixture you need to add the grated carrot.

Then add all the tinned tomatoes.

Stir the carrots and tomatoes with the wooden spoon.

Now fill the 2 empty tomato tins with water and add the water to the soup.

Add the red lentils to the pot and the stock cube and the garlic and the sugar snap peas.

Turn the heat up and bring the soup up to the boil. Then turn the heat down so the spicy bean soup can be simmering on a nice low heat for 15 minutes.

Now for the beans

It is now time to add those important beans to our spicy bean soup.

Pour into the lovely soup mix the black beans, kidney beans (you may be able to get hold of spicy kidney beans), and the green lentils.

Simmer for another 15 – 20 minutes.

A few minutes before soup is ready, add the spring onions.

It is time now to serve and enjoy this wonderful spicy bean soup.

Happy Cooking

Sharon Fitzpatrick

LifeStyle With Sharon

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How To Make Minestrone Soup

How To Make Minestrone Soup

How To Make Minestrone Soup:

Minestrone Soup is a popular soup, traditionally an Italian recipe.

It is full of delicious flavour and full of healthy nutrients.

Because minestrone soup is slow releasing it keeps you full for longer.

It is a wonderful meal to enjoy during the day as a lunch, or serve with some Melba toast or homemade bread for an evening dinner.

As it can be adapted with whatever seasonal vegetable you have in the fridge, it is a very easy and versatile soup to make. Any vegetable of your choice can be added.

For a spicy flavour be liberal with the chili flakes and add some cayenne pepper. You can use fresh or dried pasta. Try out our recipe for homemade bread.  

We have a lovely selection of soups for you to try.


Serves:
4 adults

 


Great For:
lunch OR dinner

 


Cooking Time:
1hour 40 mins

 

Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

Watch on YouTube: Click Here.

Ingredients

  • 3-4 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Large Onion
  • 4 Celery Ribs
  • ½ Leek
  • 1 Red Pepper
  • 4 Garlic Cloves
  • Salt & Pepper
  • ½ tsp Oregano
  • ½ tsp Tyme
  • Pinch Red Chilli Flakes
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Puree/Tomato Paste
  • ¼ Cauliflower
  • Handful Sugar Snap Peas
  • Handful Green Beans
  • Handful Mange Tout
  • Handful Kale
  • Handful Spinach
  • 1 Can of Chopped Tin Tomatoes
  • 1 Cup Dried Pasta – Elbow Shaped like Macaroni or Pasta Bowes or Orecchiette are the best
  •  1 Tin Cannelloni Beans OR Chickpeas
  • 3 Pints of Vegetable Stock

Minestrone Soup – Method & Instructions

Add 3 – 4 tbsp Olive Oil into a pot on a medium heat.

Once the olive oil has warmed – add the diced onion, carrot, celery, tomato puree and a pinch of salt.

Place a lid on the pot and cook on a medium heat for 7 – 10 minutes.

Add the seasonal vegetables of choice – in this recipe I have given examples of cauliflower, sugar snap peas, kale, green beans, and mange tout.

And add the garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook for a further 2 minutes.

Pour in the tin of chopped tomatoes and their juice.

Add all the vegetable stock. At this point add salt, chili flakes and black pepper.

Raise heat to medium-high and bring soup mixture to a boil and partially cover pot with a lid, leaving about a 1 inch gap for the steam to escape. Reduce heat so soup is cooking at a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Rinse the cannelloni beans (or chickpeas and add to the soup and cook for a further 5 – 10 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta and spinach.

Stir and serve with fresh rolls, bread or Melba toast.

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