French Onion Soup 750 gr onions 112 gr butter 3 cups vegetable stock salt and pepper croutons grated cheddar cheese Slice onions thinly and cook gently in butter for about 30 min till golden brown.  Add stock and cook a further 30 min.  Pour soup into bowl, sprinkle generously with cheese and brown under grill for a few moments.  Serve with croutons and garlic bread. Pumpkin or Butternut Soup 550 gr cubed pumpkin or butternut 250 gr cubed potato 60 gr chopped onions salt and freshly ground black pepper cayenne pepper – optional 4 cups vegetable stock 1 tsp parsley or chives 60 gr oil Heat oil and add onions.  Cook lightly.  Add pumpkin, potato and lastly vegetable stock.  Simmer until tender.  Liquidise.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Consistence should be like thick cream.  Cook slightly. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving. Doreen’s Mushroom Soup Serves 6 1 pkt brown mushrooms – cut thick Chop one onion until glassy.  Put in ½ mushrooms.  Cook 1 minute.  Add 1/3 cup flour.  Dissolves 2 mushroom cubes in 4 cups water.  Pour over and boil up. Spice. Add 1 Tbl sherry and lemon juice to taste. Cook until soft.  (I usually liquidize at this stage.) Just before serving add rest of mushrooms. Can add orley whip or cream. Ruth’s Kneidelach 8 eggs – beat well 8 Tbl chicken fat salt, pepper, ginger and cinnamon 4 tsp sugar 1 cup water Beat eggs well and add hot water, shmaltz, sugar and spices.  Add matzo meal to a loose consistency.  Cook in salted water for about 20 min.  Don’t lift lid.  Then transfer to boiling soup and keep it that way. 6 eggs – 30 small kneidelach. New Kneidelach Easy, but stiffer and not as light. 2 XL eggs 2 Tbl schmaltz 7 Tbl Matzo meal salt, pepper, cinnamon. Beat eggs.  Add schmaltz and matzo meal, Stand out of fridge about 7 minutes. Drop into boiling stock. Cook 20 min. Leave in pot until cool. Minestrone Brown one large onion in a little oil.  Add 1 kg frozen mixed vegetables, ½ cup shredded cabbage and 1 tin tomato paste.  Stir for 2 minutes and then add about 3 large vegetable cubes and spice to taste.  Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour.  Can add 1 cup of noodles about 10 minutes before serving. (Andrew – 1 lb each caulif, carrots, beans; 1/3 lb each peas and broccoli.  Ten 1 cup cabbage, 2 tins tom paste and 2 onions) Gaby’ Cold Beetroot Soup 1 jar Beetroot and juice ( 3405 nett            salt and pepper 1 jar milk                                                     lemon juice ¾ jar water ¼ pt cream 1 egg yolk 1 Tbl sugar – or more Liquidize all together in blender, not magi-mix.