It’s getting cooler and wetter, and the sun is setting earlier. Autumn can be a dreary time, but a great way to warm it up is to treat yourself to some delicious soup.
It’s no surprise that a cool, wet country like Ireland has some fantastic soup recipes. The kitchen is a key place to get in touch with your roots, and so we offer you an insight into traditional Irish soups to enjoy this autumn and winter. The best thing about soup is that you can serve it in mugs and enjoy it right in front of a blazing fire. That’s the sort of scenario that almost makes you wish for cold weather!
Potato Soup
What’s more Irish than potato soup? It’s the perfect thing to take the chill out of an autumn evening. A nice potato soup is not that hard to make either. You can find a range of recipes online from simple to sophisticated. Irish American Mom offers a fairly easy version of an Irish creamy potato soup with US measurements. The recipe at Potato.ie is for a chunky potato soup with chicken and leeks that doesn’t take too much time to make.
Guinness Soup
Soup or stew with stout is the ultimate Irish comfort food. Warm, rich and distinctly Irish, these recipes are perfect to refuel the family after a day out playing football (any version!) or hiking. And they are suitable for all ages because the cooking burns the alcohol out of the stout. Irish American Mom once again gets it exactly right with her beef and Guinness stew. It features a long list of ingredients, but it is cooked in the crockpot so that makes it easier. Or you can take this idea and go fusion with a French-Irish option. Irish Central has a Guinness French onion soup recipe that is well worth the effort involved.
Barley Soup
You might not see barley every day, but it was a staple in your Irish granny’s kitchen. While it isn’t a fashionable grain these days, it offers a slightly nutty flavor and great texture to soups. Good news for vegans, the Irish Heart Foundation has a healthy and hearty vegetable barley soup recipe that can be made with vegetable stock. Popular Irish chef Rachael Allen does a lamb and barley soup that captures the real taste of Ireland. In the unlikely event of having left-over lamb, this is a wonderful way to use it.
Whichever type of Irish soup is your favorite, brown bread with butter is the perfect finishing touch. Soups are usually served with traditional brown bread in Ireland with a solid texture. No matter where you are when the weather gets cold and damp, these soups will transport your taste buds to Ireland. And if you don’t have an Irish mother of your own to give you great recipes, go visit the Irish American Mom blog. This Irish immigrant to the USA offers recipes and insights into Irish life.
