When I left home and went to London to seek my fortune I was fairly penniless.  My staple diet I'm ashamed to admit was "Cuppa Soup" which was/is a sort of dehydrated packet of soup. All you had to do was pour boiling water (which was free) over the granules in the plastic cup provided (no need to waste money on buying any utensils) and there you had a steaming cup of soup or some concoction that vaguely resembled soup.

Too many years to admit have flown by and here I am in America happily making my own version of Cuppa Soup.  The beauty of it is that it's really not much harder to make than the original dehydrated version and served in a handmade cup from a local craftswoman, the taste thankfully cannot be compared.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup.

1 onion,

Olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2-3 small potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 small head of broccoli, chopped

32 oz of organic chicken stock

1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.



In a large pot heat the olive oil, add the onion and saute on a low heat until just golden.  Add the carrots, potatoes, broccoli and garlic, saute for a further 3-4 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and partially cover the pot.  Simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked.

Puree the soup, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste.

Pour into a cup and savor.

Meet the Jack Russell, my constant blog and sofa companion, closely inspecting a recipe for sausages.