Winter warmer soup #openslather

I have started making big pots of soup again, the days are getting very cold with icy winds straight from the southern ocean. Lunch for me has been good the past month. Yesterday I made a lentil and veggie soup, it was especially good with a ladle full over some baked fish, it was seriously good.

Gorgeous minestrone, made with an Italian dried soup mix.

 

When my sister and I first moved out of home, I wanted to make lasagne and my sister berated me because I didn't know how. "It's on the packet", she scowled at me, like I was some sort of idiot. Or she was just a bitch. My lips are sealed.....but all the same, and how was I supposed to know, the recipe was on the lasagne sheet packet, probably still is. This is the one I make now, I am a little older and wiser. I've even managed to make my own pasta. 

Soup making is not hard. I've been buying bags of dried split peas, lentils and soup mixes, there are recipes on the packet and they make great additions to winter soups. Tinned equivalents would work just as well. 

I usually make soup with whatever's available in the fridge, and it is a great thing to make when there are vegies perishing, begging to be used up. I even freeze stuff when it's getting almost past it to defrost later to use in soup and casseroles. A good start to any soup is onion, carrot and celery. They rest is whatever you have on hand

Note the ends of broccoli stalks. Flavour and veggie goodness. I freeze these too, for casseroles.
I even freeze the celery ends for soup or casserole. 

I fry the onion, garlic and bacon, then add chopped vegies and a
few bay leaves. They are my secret ingredient. Add half a cup of dried yellow split peas.
 Cover with stock or water. Slowly simmer away for an hour. Add brown rice and simmer
until rice is cooked.

I have been having my soup with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and chilli oil. I love chilli oil in this sort of soup. You can make it easy with some fresh chilli or dried, and olive oil. Keep the jar in the pantry. The oil will go a loverly red colour and be packed with a flavour punch.

I used to garden for an old Italian couple, they used to make me lunch. Old Georgio made me fried eggs with chilli oil on top one day with crusty bread. I thought it was the best thing I had ever tasted. 

The garden has closed down and no one is living there now. I have big dreams about that place, if only the universe would see fit to letting me win the lotto.

What is your favourite winter warmer soup? Have you got something earmarked for that big lotto win?