Paul's Excellent Country Soup

Dr Paul D's Note:

This is a quick and easy soup to make, approximately thirty minutes. It is rich and creamy without adding any thickeners. It will serve four/six people. The whole family will love this hearty and healthy soup, especially the kids as they get all the vitamins and minerals, and I never hear, "I don't eat that." I always advocate the use of stainless steel or copper pots, as I believe that using any type of aluminium pots give off some sort of toxic substances. You can always add a drizzle of cream when serving, and a little fresh parsley. For people who are vegetarians you can omit the cooked bacon, and it will still taste as good. Have fun cooking, always with love...

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4-6

Yield: 2.0 Pints

• 5 medium salad potatoes
• 1 large carrot
• 2 sticks celery
• 1 parsnip
• 1 capsicum
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 slices cooked bacon (I use smoked bacon, but non smoked bacon is fine.)
• 1/2 leek
• 1/2 large onion
• 1/2 cup of garden peas
• 1/2 cup cooked long-grain rice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, you can use cooking oil if you don't have the olive oil
• 2 pints boiling water (I use spring water or bottled water to make this soup as the bottled water does not contain chlorine)

Directions:

1. All of the vegetables, apart from the onion and garlic need to be thoroughly washed, and all should be chopped into very small pieces as this lessens the cooking time which helps to retain the vitamins and minerals.
2. Cut up the onion into small pieces and then smash, peel and cut up the garlic.
3. In the pot you are going to cook the soup in place the olive oil and heat until a fairly high temperature but not smoking.
4. Then add the finely chopped onion and garlic and fry for approximately two minutes,.
5. Remove the pot from the stove and add all of your vegetables, rice and bacon and give it a good stir.
6. Have your two pints of boiling water ready and add it to the pot with all the ingredients. (In all of my recipes i prefer to use mineral water, which is chemical free.) I don't do this step on the stove because the hot oil can spit out of the pot and burn you.
7. Put the pot back onto the stove and bring it to the boil. Allow it to boil for approximately four minutes, then reduce the heat, put the lid on the pot and simmer on a low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes, stirring at times.).
8. When the time is up put in the pepper and salt.
9. At this stage I use a hand held Moulinex blender, but you could use any type of blender and blend at a few bursts at a time until the ingredients are all incorporated. You should still have tiny bits of vegetable visible. I am always careful with the blending, as this soup will be boiling hot and will splash on you if not careful.
10. Ladle the soup into decorative soup ramekins or bowls and add a drizzle of cream and a small piece of fresh parsley. I always serve this with crusty home made bread.