Food Hop - Soup week part 3 Country Vegtable soup

So we are about halfway through our soup week thingy and out of all the soups I make this is possibly the most versatile. You don't like carrots? Fine use more celery or potatoes, prefer it with meat instead? Just add about 300 grams of thinly sliced pork to the mix or better yet add some ham shank on the bone, simmer it all for a few hours skimming off the fat to add a little extra winter warmer.

So this is the usual list of things I add to mine, suggestions as ever are welcome.

Ingredients (for about 4/5 big bowls)
120 grams dried country soup mix (from the packet) This is usually a mixture of lentils/split peas/barley and some things I'm not actually sure off, sent through the post by my mum, (thanks mum) found in most supermarkets or health food shops.
1300 ml of water mixed with 4 chicken stock cubes (about 7 cups of stock basically)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (or just chop them yourself)
1 stick of celery (de leaved, washed, the bottom chopped off and then chopped)
1 onion (again chopped)
1 leak (cleaned and then the white parts chopped up)
2 carrots (chopped into what ever shape you like, I like mine in little cubes)
400 grams of potato's (washed peeled and then chopped)
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped or crushed, while chopping gives more flavour, I don't really like to chomp down on a big bit of garlic so I prefer crushing so it practically melts away
1 tablespoon dried parsley and oregano (because I don't make anything without parsley (except toast)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
butter - about 3 tablespoons

Optional
meat - about 300 grams of thinly sliced pork or a small ham shank adds flavour
mushrooms - about a handful of mushrooms (usually button or chestnut mushrooms )
chili flakes - add a hot zing to it all, although I'm not a fan of them in my country soup
pasta - again adds to the filling of the belly,

First put the country soup mix in large bowl of water to soak over night, the next day drain and set aside. In a heavy bottomed pan melt the butter and fry the onion, garlic, leak and celery until it begins to soften. Add all the other ingredients, including the country soup mix and bring to the boil, reduce to a low simmer and cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with crusty bread. If using thin slices of meat (I'd recomend pork, but chicken is also nice) then skim some of the fat that rises to the top. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick. If using a ham shank simmer for at least 1 and a half hours while skimming the fat off the top, after an hour and a half lift the shank bone and any fragments out of soup, cut the remaining meat from the bones and trim off the fat then add the meat back to the soup, ensure the meat is well stired into the soup and no bones fragments are left behind, cook for another 10 minutes then serve.

Easy and filling exactly what a soup should be.

Headmaster watch - strangely absent today
Headmaster style - And like Kyser Soze, he was gone like that!