WInter Soup Medley

Last Friday night, I got back from another trip to San Francisco where the temperature was hovering around 18 degrees Celsius. When hubby picked me up from the airport, he brought me my thick winter jacket  with a warning to brace myself for the cold weather outside. He wasn't kidding! After 6 days of sunshine and mild temperature, if felt like I was transported to Siberia!!!

I spent whole of Saturday and Sunday cooped up in the house in my polar fleece pajamas and wool socks asking my hubby at least several times to remind me the reason why we moved to Canada while looking at big snow squalls piling up on roofs and streets. Every time I asked, he would give me a big hug and I know in my heart I am home!

Speaking of home, ours is always filled with delicious smell of hearty soups in the winter months. One of our favorites is what I named Winter Soup Medley simply because it is a medley of everything I have in our vegetable crisper plus lentils, peas, rice and barley.

Winter Soup Medley

Ingredients
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 large onion, minced
1 large carrots, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
2-3 ribs of celery , diced
1 cup soup mix {lentils, split peas, rice and barley}
4 tbsp tomato paste 
6 cups pork bone broth {recipe below}; can be replaced with any kind of broth
sprigs of rosemary
1 tbsp sugar 
cooked shredded pork meat from pork bone broth
salt and pepper

Procedure

Heat the cooking oil in large stockpot over medium-low heat. 

Once hot, add the onion, carrots, potatoes, celery and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 5 minutes. 

Add soup mix and tomato paste. Mix well.

Pour pork bone broth  into the stockpot

Add sprigs of rosemary and sugar.

Cover stockpot and simmer for 30-40 minutes {or until lentils, peas, rice and barley are tender} while stirring occasionally.

Add cooked shredded pork meat from pork bone broth

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve while hot with rustic bread.

Pork Bone Broth

Ingredients

1 kilo pork bone with meat {available in Asian store, meat section}

1 medium sliced onion

salt and pepper

8 cups of water

Procedure

In a large stockpot, combine all ingredients.

Cover and boil for 45 - 60 minutes {or until meat from bone is very tender}

Strain broth  through large sieve {can be used as soup base in soup recipes}

Remove meat from pork bone {meat can be used in any soup}