fifteen::newlywed::food

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it's pantry week here. we're hoping to trim a little off the grocery budget and use up some of the stuff that's hanging about, just waiting to be created into something delicious.

i came up with this 'recipe' for soup when i was in university. it's nothing fancy, but with the colder days setting in, i find a deep need for soup. for warmth. bonus: it's cheap. and healthy! 

bacon vegetable soup. 

this soup instantly warms you up, is filled with lots of vegetables and tons of flavour! don't worry about a chopping the veg nicely, this gets whizzed with a blender at the end...

ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup red wine

6-12 rashers of bacon

2 onions, roughly chopped

4 carrots, chopped

4 sticks of celery, chopped

4 potatoes, rough large dice 

3 tins tomatoes 

3 cups chicken stock 

salt and pepper 

cream (for serving, optional)

cook: 

in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat, add bacon and brown, scraping at bits that get stuck to the bottom. add in onions, carrots and celery, allow to soften (3-4 min). 

add red wine, simmer until at least half the liquid has evaporated. add potatoes, tomatoes and chicken stock. simmer for 40 min, or until liquid has reduced and thickened. (the volume in my pot reduced from 3.5 qts to 3qts).

season to taste. take off heat and allow to cool slightly (10 min). blend until smooth (i use an immersion hand blender). 

serve warm with fresh bread, and if feeling indulgent, a drizzle of cream! 

this recipe is really just a starting point, i often use whatever i have around the kitchen that needs to be used up. 

happy weekend!