Foogo Soup

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"Lunch on the Go"

This soup is named after my vacuum food jar. 

Yes, I actually have a soup named after my Thermos flask. 

Yup. Sad I know. 

In Year 12, I took my lunch in my flask practically every day. Soup, oatmeal, canned spaghetti, baked beans, pasta salad, noodles, pasta and veggie balls, casseroles,rice and sauce. You name it, I probably had it. It was brilliant. I kind of missed it in Year 13- but I normally ate my lunch in one of the study area's - where food was banned as it was- so hot food in a Thermos Flask was definitely pushing it too far.

However- now I'm at uni- Foogo is back. And strong as ever. Literally - it's in a box at the end of my bed all ready for when I'm in a routine and eating lovely warming lunches. I even have some soup in the freezer all ready and waiting. (we're going to come to that soup later - but for now...)

Foogo soup.

I really wish that I had been the wondrous person to have come up with this soup. But that would be my Dad. He didn't go out to make an INCREDIBLE soup - perfect for taking to school for lunch- he was just making a veg soup out of what we had in. But it is really incredible. It's one of those times when it takes you a few times to recreate that 'throw it all together' meal - and where as you (or your Dad) didn't pay any attention the first time that you made it - you spend much time agonizing over how to adequately recreate it to be just how it was the first time. And it practically never is as good as the first time. But you get it eventually.

Well - this is what this was like.

But it was worth it. And eventually I got it.

This is sweet as far as soups go - it's made primarily from root vegetables ranging from slightly sweet to sweet. My Dad doesn't like it - he's not fond of sweet savoury foods (he also doesn't like sweet potatoes.... I worry about him sometimes....). This sweetness is offset by the pepper. I have never measured just how much pepper goes in. But put in as much as you think you can bear. Divide it up into servings. And then put some more in. This soup is VERY peppery.

Foogo Soup
Makes about 4 serving (Foogo holds 10floz)

• 1 cup of carrot slices (about 1 large or two small carrots)
• 1 cup of parsnip slices (about 1 normal sized) 
• 1 cup of swede cubes (a few inches out of one swede) (can sub turnip if you can find them - but where I live they are like an imaginary vegetable)
• 1 small onion, diced small
• about 1 pint vegetable stock made with boiling water
• Ground black pepper. Lots of ground black pepper. 

• Prepare the vegetables. If you want - you can peel the carrots and parsnips. I would definitely peel the swede - although I usually end up cutting off the skin as opposed to 'peeling' it. Don't boil the water until later. 
• In a medium-large pan, gently cook the onion until soft and translucent
• Add the rest of the veggies- and cook for about 10 minutes until starting to soften. 
• Boil the kettle and make up the stock. Add this to the pan. Cover - and cook for about 15-30 minutes until the veggies are completely softened. If the stock looks dangerously close to boiling away - add some more boiling water. 
• When the vegetables ate at the falling apart stage - take the soup off the heat. If you have an immersion blender- now is an excellent time to use it. If not- no biggie. But you still need to blend the soup until it is COMPLETELY smooth. If too much of the stock has boiled off then it's going to look too much like a veggie puree and not enough like soup (mine was like this) add some extra boiling water- or make up some more boiling stock and use this. Do this gradually - strirring in a few tablespoons of boiling water/stock at a time until it is the desired consistency. 
• Stand there with a pepper grinder (or shaker) for way too long adding pepper to the soup. You want to add a lot- at least a teaspoons worth. 
• If you're eating the soup immediately - put it back on the stovetop and heat through for a few more minutes. If not- freeze in portions when cooled. 

This soup tastes GREAT in school at lunch time. My Mom likes it with crispy onions on top.