Dave McCormick on Incredible Edible Barnet getting together to make and share soup

A bowl of orange-coloured soup containing carrots and other vegetables with a piece of brown bread on the rim — A bowl of soup – (Credit – Incredible Edible Barnet)

On an unseasonably warm and dry November day, nine Incredible Edible Barnet volunteers gathered to tidy the community garden, start the process of creating mould from fallen leaves from our local parks that the council had dropped off earlier in the week, and celebrate the end of the gardening season by making and sharing soup.

Ingredients for the day included people with Bulgarian, English, Korean, Russian and Sri Lankan heritage and a variety of root vegetables, herbs and spices.

As we enjoyed the souper soup and homemade bread we shared soup memories, learned about the invention of the soup spoon and played “Alphabet Soup” – a game where you have to name a soup for each letter of the alphabet.

Asparagus, Borscht, carrot and coriander, Dhall, Kimchijjigae, Gazpacho, Tarator, ramen, red lentil, Scotch Broth, tomato, Vichyssoise and zucchini were just some of the ones we came up with – and we know that there are many more.

Soup is easy to make, nutritious, cheap, reduces food waste as you can use up leftovers and freeze and reheat it.

Making and consuming it is a great way to bring people together around a meal that has been enjoyed for thousands of years by people across the world.

Our thanks go to St John’s United Reformed Church for their support and to Mother Nature for providing us with the opportunity to come together as social gardeners and the food that we need to thrive.

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