Soup, glorious soup

I've been feeling a tad guilty for not having put enough recipes on the blog recently, so over the next few days I plan to post a number of dishes that have helped to keep me going over the recent chilly weeks.

The first recipe I want to post is this gorgeous, tasty bowlful on the left. I love soup with a passion, and in my single days would sometimes cook a vat of the stuff and live on it from one end of the week to the next. This particular soup is fairly simple to make, yet I find it incredibly satisfying. Oh – and it's pretty healthy, too. But you do need one key ingredient to make it work, and that's home-cooked chicken stock. Store-bought stuff will do at a pinch, but you can forget about stock cubes. I've included a recipe for chicken stock below, just in case you've never made any at home – but don't worry, it's simplicity itself to make.

Soup with spicy pork balls and cabbage for two

300g minced pork
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
bunch of mint leaves, chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 small fiery chilli, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
600 mls chicken stock (see recipe below)
1/2 savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the pork, spring onions, herbs, soy sauce, chilli and garlic together in a bowl, then form into walnut-sized balls.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, then fry the pork balls, a few at a time, until they're nicely browned on all sides. Put the cooked meat to one side until everything's ready.

While you're frying the pork, bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan, then lower heat until it's simmering.

Heat the pork balls in the soup for a few minutes, until they're thoroughly cooked through.

Add the cabbage and cook for another minute or two. Season to taste and serve.


Chicken stock

chicken carcasses (or chicken wings if you can't get hold of whole carcasses)
olive oil
a brown onion, halved and peeled
3-4 celery sticks
a couple of carrots
tsp peppercorns
2-3 bayleaves
bunch parsley
salt

I've deliberately left the quantities for this recipe vague as you can make as much or as little chicken stock as you need (and your stockpot will allow). If you end up with more than you need, stock freezes very well once it has been thoroughly cooled.

Brown the chicken carcasses or wings with the oil in a saucepan. Cover with water, then add the remaining ingredients, apart from the salt.

Bring to the boil, skimming the brownish scum that forms on the liquid. Reduce to a simmer – it's important to get the heat as low as you possibly can, so that only the occasional bubble breaks the surface. That way the stock should remain fairly clear once you're finished.

Carry on simmering for at least a couple of hours (I sometimes leave my stockpot on the stove for up to four hours).

Strain the chicken bones and vegetables, reserving the liquid. Now's the time to taste the stock. If it still needs to be more concentrated, put it back on the stove and boil until it's reduced to the appropriate concentration. Then – and only then – should you add salt (it can get very salty if you add your salt before concentrating the stock).

Allow to cool and (preferably) place the stock in the fridge overnight. You should find that any fat will float to the surface and harden to a solid, which will allow you to remove it easily. Your stock is now ready to use or freeze.