Monday 2 January 2012

Day 2: Homemade daily challenge


I have an awful lot to thank my Granny Jeanie for, including this delicious soup. She came from Motherwell in Glasgow and to say she was frugal is an understatement, this soup more of a broth than a soup, when the weather turns cold everyone in my family makes it and has been a winter staple for generations, and we all seem to have out own version of it, my Dad adds cous cous to thicken it more. These quantities make a huge batch, I often make it for supper on a Monday and then have it for lunch everyday that week. It also freezes really well.





Granny Jeanie’s Homemade Soup Recipe


1 small unsmoked ham joint
1 swede
3 carrots
1 leek
1 parsnip
1 cup dried pearl barley
1 tbsp fresh parsley

Boil the ham in water for about 1 and 1/2 hours, scooping any scum off the water surface as it cooks. Remove the ham from the pan and put on a plate to cool, drain the stock and reserve in a bowl.

Put the saucepan back on the heat and add a little oil, gently colour the leek and add the other veg. After a few minutes ladle in the stock and bring to boil, add pearl barley and simmer for around 30 mins or until stock pearl barley is cooked through.

Remove fat from ham joint and cut meat into cubes.

Using a hand held blender, whiz up the soup in the saucepan, to a thick broth consistency.

Add the ham and allow it to warm through, serve in warm bowls with chopped parsley on top preferably with a crusty roll and butter.

This makes a shed load of soup but it freezes really well and keeps in the fridge for a few days too.




6 comments:

Lorna May said...

ooo love homemade soups, and love idea of adding cous cous. yum yum.

Unknown said...

I can't eat shop bought soup nowadays and this is so easy to make :)

Kelly said...

I always make soup this time of the year with all the left vegs after buying too much for Christmas!! This sounds delicious!!! May need to come over to sample!!!! He he he

Unknown said...

Would this have come from your Scots roots too? Your more than welcome to come round for a bowl (that's if you remember lol) xxx

Heather said...

I'll be having a go at this. Never made soup before....oh the shame! I'm on late shifts this week so I have no excuse for not having time! Will promise to buy the ingredients tommorow morning and make it on Thursday morning

Unknown said...

Brilliant! Soup's the easiest thing to make, you won't look back! I usually buy a bag of chopped carrot and swede for this as swede can be a bit brutal, the recipe takes a long time to come together but pretty much does it itself once it's all in the pan. Hope you like it, would love to hear how it goes :)