Gazpacho - Grande

Here is a yummy, easy, cool summer lunch. You need
for the soup:
1 cucumber,
2 lbs tomatoes,
1 bell pepper
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1-2 slices of bread
5 TBs olive oil
2 TBs wine vinegar
3 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper

Peel cucumber, slice lengthwise and remove the seeds. Chop into pieces. Peel tomatoes (pouring hot water over them first helps!) and chop them. Remove bell pepper seeds and cut into pieces. Peel and chop onion and garlic. Place all vegetables in a big bowl or pot and puree using a food processor or a handheld blender. Remove bread crust and crumble into the soup. Slowly add olive oil, vinegar and broth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve well chilled with croutons, diced onions, bell pepper, white from boiled eggs...

Good for you Soup

Left-over meat, cut in bite-size pieces (kind people gave us some deer steak)
1 medium-size onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 bell-pepper, chopped
1/2 cup or more corn
2 cups beef broth (ideally home-made)
1/2 LB rice noodles any shape
1 clove garlic
2 1/2 TBs tomato paste
salt, pepper
parsley

Sautee onion in butter or olive oil until soft. Add carrots, celery, meat and broth. Simmer of 1 1/2 hours or longer until meat and vegetables are soft (chopped potatoes would work well too). Add bell-pepper and corn as well as tomato paste, garlic, noodles, salt, pepper and 1 cup more water. Cook until noodles are done and add more water until desired consistency.
Serve with sour cream and/or cheese.

Quick Potato Carrot Soup

4 big organic potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
2-3 organic carrots peeled and cut into small pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 cups of stock (beef or chicken)
water to thin the soup as necessary
butter
thyme
salt and pepper

Saute onions in butter until soft on low-medium heat. Add all other vegetable. Add stock, raise temperature and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook the vegetables until soft (about 20 minutes). Puree soup with a handheld blender or process in a regular blender. Add water to reach desired consistency. Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Serve with croutons, shredded cheese and sour cream.

Lula’s Erbsensuppe

(Split Pea Soup)
This is a truly nourishing soup - high in protein, fiber and flavor.
1 package of dried green peas (375 gr)
Water
2 yellow onions
1 stalk of celery
Butter (2 TBs)
Salt
Pepper
1.5 Lbs potatoes
1 ½ Lbs nitrate free sausage of your choice
nitrate free bacon or ham, ham bones/hock
1 cup fresh or frozen peas

Wash peas the night before and soak them in the water overnight. The next day add some of the meat (cut) and or ham hocks. Bring to a boil and let cook on low heat for 2-21/2 hours.
In a separate big pot sauté the minced onions until lightly brown, add diced potatoes, celery, bacon and other cut sausage. Add the cooked peas from the other pot, salt and pepper and other spices as desired (e.g. a little vinegar and instant veggie soup). Cook about 30 minutes longer. If you want a fine consistency you can mash potatoes, soup or puree in a blender or use a stick blender Then add canned or frozen or fresh peas. You can also add more sausage or ham pieces later and heat it in the soup.
Serves: 4-6