Bottom of the Fridge Greens Soup

Storm Imogen is blowing in and it is most definitely soup weather.  To warm myself up with the front door wide open all day as we are having the hall and landing painted I have rustled up a soup to enjoy in a draughtfree corner.

As I remind my mother-in-law, who has just bought a soup maker, soup can pretty much be made with any vegetable however bendy!  Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall talks about the holy trinity of soup bases being onion, carrot, & celery.  I do aim for this, but at the end of the day it comes down to what I have left, and a handsized potato to stretch it all a little further.

Today's soup, with smokey paprika, is loosely based on a Portuguese Soup, Caldo Verde

1/4 cabbage
Broccoli stalks
1 large onion
1 large celery stick
1 large potato
1 large garlic clove
2 vegetable or chicken stock cubes
1 litre boiling water (or half milk for a creamier soup)
1tsp smoked paprika

Roughly chop all the vegetables and fry gently in the oil for a few minutes.  If using broccoli stalk, I find I need to quarter it length ways and cut out the softer inside otherwise the soup can be too fibrous.  Add the crumbled stock cubes, paprika, and top up with boiling water so the vegetables are covered by about 2cm of water.  Simmer for 20 minutes then blitz in a liquidiser or with a stick blender.