I can’t take credit for this recipe, it’s from the excellent Cranks Recipe Book. I assume they still include it in newer editions of the cookbook but I inherited mine from my Mum around 20 years ago so it’s possible they have very different recipes in there now. This soup is actually called Armenian Soup but I’ve always called it Apricot Soup, not least because it seems to freak people out that you’re making soup from Apricots!
Apricot Soup (Armenian Soup)
by The Cranks
Ingredients:
- 1 large potato roughly chopped
- 50g of red lentils (washed)
- 50g of dried apricots (washed and chopped roughly)
- Tsp of cumin
- 3 Tbsp of parsley (roughly chopped)
- Juice of a half a lemon
- 2 pints of vegetable stock
- Salt and Pepper to taste
How thick this soup ends up being depends entirely on the size of potato you use. If you fancy a really thick soup (great in winter) use a very large potato. If you fancy something a bit lighter use a medium sized potato.
As it’s currently ‘summer’ in the UK I’ve used a medium sized potato today, but it’s still great comfort food with it raining and being a bit grey outside.
I often don’t have parsley or fresh lemons available. It tastes pretty good without them, so don’t panic if you don’t have them in the house. I will admit that it is better with them, especially the lemon juice, but they’re not vital.
Method:
This soup could not be easier to make.
- When you’ve measured out all your ingredients just pop them all into a large saucepan.
- Bring it to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.
- Wait for the soup to cool and then blend it.
- Warm up the soup again and then serve. A nice crusty bit of bread is great with this soup.
I tend to make soup when I’m hungry, rather than planning ahead like I probably should. So I let it sit for a short while (5 minutes or so) before I use a hand blender. I also find using a hand blender means it’s much easier to clean the dishes afterwards but if you’re more comfortable using a normal blender then do so. If you do blend your soup before it’s completely cooled, be aware that you could burn yourself if it splashes!
Step by Step, How to Make Armenian Soup
1. Measure out all of your ingredients
2. Add all the ingredients to a large saucepan
3. Bring it to the boil and then leave to simmer for 30 minutes
4. Wait for the soup to cool and then blend it.
5. Serve your soup!
6. Serve it with a nice crusty bit of bread. Yum
This recipe serves enough for 4 good sized bowls of soup. If you do live by yourself then you can actually freeze it. Wait for it to completely cool and then put it in a leak proof container. On the day you want to eat the soup take it out of the freezer and allow it to defrost naturally. Be warned it looks awful once you ‘pour’ it into the pan as it’s a congealed block of soup. Just warm it slowly and make sure you stir it well and it turns out perfectly.
Buy the Book & The Blender
I love my little hand blender, it’s also perfect for making smoothies. It comes with a few extra bits so that you can use it like a normal blender as well. I’m not sure what I’d do without mine and it was nice and cheap too.
The Cranks recipe book that I own has been used so often that the pages are now beginning to fall out. There are some fantastic recipes in it, my 2 favourites being this Armenian Soup and the seriously tasty nut roast recipe. I hope that those 2 recipes are considered some of the classics so hopefully they’ll be in the cookbook below.
I’ve linked to external websites for the blender and the cookbook below so you can read more about them and buy them. Please support your local bookshop if you’re able to, if you want to buy the Cranks recipe book!
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Check out some more tasty vegan meals – like this hearty bean pot or my vegan lasagne & vegan chilli.
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