SOUP could be your easy “fast” food alternative until fresh spring vegetables arrive

With the coming cold weekend maybe this is the time to go looking for the quick alternative to your homemade soup? Check out the counter with frozen food next time you go shopping.

The article continues below.

By Bente D. Knudsen

In Denmark, the Mou kød og mel boller (small meat and flour dumplings) and the Mou Oksekødsuppe and Hønsekødsuppe are considered national institutions.

For generations, they have been the”healthy” fast food alternative to a home-cooked meal.

A quick fix, used by tired working mothers in order to provide a good meal on busy days – in no time. And also an all-time favourite for natmad – the late meal served at Danish parties after midnight (also called go home soup).

It all started back in the 1960s in Esbjerg, when Vera Mou had forgotten to make her homemade flour dumplings, melboller, to go with her homemade soup for the evening meal.

Instead, she remembered seeing some made by Findus at her local supermarket and went to buy them. They were quite expensive she found and together with her husband, she decided to make and sell her own.

They had started a butcher’s shop and could easily add a freezer or two.

“I had my mother’s recipe and decided to use that one to start with,” Vera Mou explains.

It was a huge success, and the frozen mel boller were expanded with kød boller, later the frozen soups were added and eventually they built a factory to be able to accommodate the demand.

“We quickly ran out of space and had freezers standing everywhere in the shop and our apartment,” Vera recalls.

Mou later became part of the food producer Tulip Food, but despite this Vera Mou kept working – demonstrating the soups and dumplings in supermarkets around the country until she was 78.

A hug variety of frozen soups are produced, many of them still based on the original recipes developed by Vera and her husband.

Today, 28 million portions of soup are sold to consumers in Denmark annually.

Recently new soups based on organic ingredients have been added to the range.

The concept is simple – the frozen soup can be put directly into the cooking pot – let it thaw in it – low heat only, adding 1 soupspoon of water. Once thawed, let it boil slightly and it is ready to serve.

Consumers can add ingredients to the ready-made soups if they want a more homemade feel – but in reality, they are ready to serve.

There are three to four portions per package.

Serve with fresh bread.

Bon Appetit!