It might put you off that this old recipe because it starts off “Place the barley in a large bowl. Cover with water; soak overnight”. But if you be bothered doing it the barley will make the soup delicious and when you add in the lamb and vegetables you’ll end up with a very hearty and warming winter dish.
Category Archives: Soups & Starters
ASIAN NOODLE SOUP
CHUNKY SALMON CHOWDER
SPICY POTATO SOUP
MUSHROOM & BACON SOUP
For me one of the best things about winter is homemade soup. In the old days Mum’s soups started with ham, chicken, lamb or whatever bones she bought at the butcher’s that week. She’d add vegetables and then cover the lot with cold water, bring it to the boil and cook it for a few hours. The next step was to allow the soup to cool so that the fat from the bones could solidify and it was then carefully taken off. The resulting soup was worth all that effort, but modern recipes like this one make the job a whole lot easier.
SHERRIED GRAPEFRUIT
I was surprised to find this cutting amongst Mum’s collection as I didn’t realise she had the recipe. It was a starter I made a lot when I first got married. I wasn’t much of cook then and this could be prepared beforehand and was easy to make. It tasted quite good and always seemed to be enjoyed, but it shows how much tastes have changes as I don’t think I’d serve it up to anyone these days.
CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
CORN & PUMPKIN SOUP
CHICKEN & CORN SOUP
In the 1950s except for fish and chips Chinese was the only takeaway available, you even had to take your own saucepan to the shop for them to put the food in – no plastic containers then. Chicken & Corn soup was always a favourite. Somewhere along the line someone came up with this make-at-home version, which can be adapted to suit what you like or what you have in the cupboard. It’s not as good as the Chinese restaurant variety, but it still tastes good.
ZUCCHINI SOUP
Soup has always been a family favourite with us. In the early days Mum made soup using soup bones from the butcher to which she would add lots of vegetables – onions, carrots, celery, turnips and whatever else she had on hand. Once it had all boiled for a couple of hours it was left to cool, the bones were removed and the fat skimmed off the surface before reboiling and eaten. This recipe is one I gave her and I expect she liked it as it was quicker and easier to make.
ZUCCHINI SOUP
- 30g butter
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 4 chopped onions, chopped
- 6 medium zucchinis, sliced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
- Salt & Pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- 4 cups chicken stock
Heat oil and butter, cook vegetables 10 minutes, add stock and seasonings simmer 10 minutes, pulverise, serve with cream.









