Leaders quite often despair at the sight of Explorers eating pot noodles and junk food, and, as it is Autumn, the time for lovely warming foodstuff, we had a go at making soups this week.

We laid out four tables, ‘Ready Steady Cook’ Style and set them to the task in teams.

Results – four really good soups in under 30 minutes. With practice most thought they could make them from fresh in 15 minutes or less.

That is quicker than finding and buying a pot noodle, and far, far, healthier and tastier.

For those who like to cook (and for any DoE teams that want the recipes for their own expeditions) the recipes were

Quick Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients -
Olive Oil, tablespoon
Chicken Breast Halves, sliced very fine and thin
Chicken Stock (premade, or frozen)
Handful sliced Carrots
Handful Fresh Peas
1 cup Celery, chopped very fine
1/2 red Onion, chopped very fine
3/4 cup very thin sliced field Mushrooms
2 person pack of fresh egg Noodles
White pepper, salt to season
Preparation:
1. Add oil to pan. Heat to first smoke.
2. Sauté chicken pieces quickly (under a minute if sliced fine) and juices run clear.
3. Remove chicken to paper towels to drain oil.
4. Add sliced carrots, chopped celery, chopped onion, fry until onion softens but do not brown, then add sliced mushrooms stir for 30 seconds to absorb oil, then add chicken stock and peas and add back the sauted chicken pieces
5.  Add boiling water to ensure all covered – then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, just enough to ensure all cooked through.
6. Season with white pepper and salt
7. Stir in egg noodles. Simmer 4 minutes (or as packet states).
8. Serve immediately and hot.

Asian Beef Noodle Soup
Ingredients -
1 pound lean Ground Beef
1 Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
1 teaspoon Ginger, grated
Beef stock (fresh, package or frozen)
4 cups Water
1 medium head Pak Choy, chopped into finger strips
2 person package of Ramen Noodles
2 teaspoons Oil
2 tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
1 Red Chilli, Salt,
Sweet Sherry
Sesame Oil
Spring onions
Preparation:
1. Add ground beef to large pan. Brown and crumble over low heat.
2. Drain off excess fat through a sieve
3.  In soup pan, soften and brown the chopped onion, then minced garlic, and then ground ginger and chopped chilli and fry for 1 minute
4. Transfer ground beef into the pan, stir and heat through
5. Stir in beef stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
6. Season, using soy sauce first, then sherry, then salt
7. Stir in pak choy. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 3 minutes.
8. Stir in ramen noodles. Add boiling water to ensure all covered – Simmer 3 minutes (or as packet directs).
9. (Optional – Stir in teaspoon of sesame oil, and extra dash of soy sauce, dress with finely chopped spring onions).
10. serve hot and fresh

Tomato Parsley and Dill Soup
Ingredients -
2 teaspoons Butter
1 cup chopped shallots
2  x 14 oz can Diced Tomatoes with Juice
6 large fresh plum tomatoes
Vegatable Stock (premade, or frozen)
3 tablespoons Tomato Paste / Passatta
2 tablespoons chopped Fresh Dill
2 tablespoons chopped Fresh Parsley
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Dash balsamic vinegar
Black pepper and salt to season
Sour cream
Preparation:
1. Add butter to large saucepan. Heat over medium heat, but do not brown.
2. Sauté shallots until tender, about 3 minutes, do not brown
Meanwhile, cut crosses in ends of plum tomatoes, pour boiling water over them, leave until skin splits, rinse under cold water, peel, and chop into ½ cm cubes
3. Stir in diced fresh tomatoes, dash of balsamic vinegar, sugar and quickly fry and stir until just softening, then add cans of tomatoes with juice, vegetable stock, and tomato paste.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
5. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 5 minutes
then season with salt and pepper carefully
6. Stir in chopped fresh dill and fresh parsley
Serve with garlic croutons, crusty bread and a blob of sour cream on top

Creamy Bacon Mushroom Soup
Ingredients -
Packet of Back Bacon
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound Fresh Mushrooms
1 oz dried porcini mushroom
1 medium White Onion, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
large tub of Heavy Whipping Cream
Chicken Stock (premade, or frozen)
5 ounces grated gorgonzola
3 tablespoons cornflour
3 tablespoons Cold Water
1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Coarse Salt
Preparation:
Prepare bacon bits by copping small, diced, cooked until crisp, and drained on paper towels
Prepare porcini mushroom by crushing and adding a tablespoon of boiling water
1. Add olive oil to pan. Heat over medium heat.
2. Sauté chopped white onion, minced garlic until lightly browned, then add mushrooms, fry gently until mushrooms begin to soften.
3. Stir in heavy whipping cream and chicken stock. Bring to very gentle simmer – do not allow cream to ‘clot’
(optional – add porcini mushroom and liquor it has stood in)
4. Stir in cheese in handfuls, carefully, until melted.
5. Add cornflour, cold water, salt, and pepper to small bowl. Stir until smooth.
6. Stir cornflour thickening mixture into soup.
7. Bring to a gentle boil. Simmer 2 minutes until thickened.
8. Serve in individual soup bowls. Garnish with bacon bits.