A Beautiful Bowl of Soup (5 page)

During the winter months, hot roasted chestnuts are sold by vendors on the boulevards of Paris, and the meaty nut is a popular ingredient in bistros around France. Canned chestnuts, available in many supermarkets and gourmet shops, are as rich and earthy as the fresh. No peeling and fussing, and they’re ready in minutes. I like to serve this soup in small cups topped with foamy milk steamed using my cappuccino machine and a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg. My friend Barb, who prepares this soup for winter holidays, tops the servings with a fan of paper-thin apple slices.

Makes 4 cups (4 to 6 servings)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped shallots

2 cups vegetable stock

1 10-ounce can peeled chestnuts, drained, reserve 1 chestnut for garnish

1 cup half-and-half or milk

¼ cup dry sherry (see Tip)

˜ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

˜ hot foamy milk, freshly grated nutmeg, and thinly sliced chestnut for garnish

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the carrot, celery, and shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable stock.

In 2 batches, purée the soup with the chestnuts in a blender until smooth.

Return the soup to the pan. Add the half-and-half and sherry. Stir gently over medium heat until heated through. Season to taste.

Serve the soup, cappuccino style, in soup mugs or small, deep bowls topped with foamy milk. Thinly slice the remaining chestnut and place on the soup. Finish with a dash of nutmeg.

Prepare the soup through the puréeing step; refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat and add the half-and-half and sherry just before serving.

TIP

Sherry is a fortified wine to which brandy or another spirit has been added to increase the flavor and boost the alcohol content. Sherries vary in color, flavor, and sweetness. Finos are dry and light; they include manzanillas, which are very dry and delicate, with a hint of saltiness, and amontillados, which are aged and have a distinctively nutty flavor. Olorosos, often labeled cream or golden sherry, are darker in color and sweet.

Vegan recipe if crème fraîche and sour cream garnishes are omitted

Roasting your own bell peppers is the secret to top-notch flavor. Roast the peppers, then prepare the soup in two separate batches. Pour the red and yellow soups into the bowl all at once for an impressive “yin-yang” presentation.

Makes 6 cups (6 servings)

vinaigrette

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

˜ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large russet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks (about 2¼ cups)

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 carrot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable stock

3 red bell peppers, roasted (see Tips)

3 yellow bell peppers, roasted (see Tips)

˜ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

˜ finely chopped fresh chives (see Tips) and crème fraîche or sour cream for garnish

Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season to taste. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the potato, onion, carrot, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer half of the vegetables to a large saucepan.

Stir 2 cups of the vegetable stock into each pan. Coarsely chop the roasted bell peppers. Put the red bell peppers in one pan and the yellow bell peppers in the other. Increase the heat to high under both pans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover both pans and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.

Separately purée the red and yellow bell pepper soups in a blender until smooth. Return the soups to the 2 pans and reheat to serving temperature. Season to taste.

To serve, using ½-cup measuring cups, pour both soups into shallow wide bowls in steady streams at the same time for a yin-yang look. Garnish with a drizzle of the vinaigrette, a generous sprinkling of chives, and a large dollop of crème fraîche.

This soup will keep for up to 5 days in 2 separate covered containers (one for the yellow bell pepper soup, the other for the red) in the refrigerator. When
reheating the soups, stir in water to thin as desired. (Or, for a creamy texture, stir in half-and-half or cream.) Refrigerate the vinaigrette in a covered container for up to 2 days.

˜ Make the soup with only red or yellow bell peppers, rather than a combination.

˜ In a pinch for time? Substitute one 12-ounce jar roasted yellow bell peppers and one 12-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers for the freshly roasted peppers. The jars contain salt, so you’ll need to add less to the soup.

˜ For garnishing, substitute bottled basil-flavored olive oil for the lemon vinaigrette.

TIPS

To roast bell peppers, preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Remove and discard the stem and cut each bell pepper in half lengthwise; remove and discard the seeds and ribs. Place the pepper halves, skin-side up, in a single layer on the prepared pan; flatten each with the palm of your hand. Lightly brush the skins with olive oil. Broil for about 15 minutes, or until the pepper halves are fork-tender and the skins are blackened and blistered. Transfer the pepper halves to a heavy-duty self-sealing plastic bag or a brown paper bag and seal; set aside until cool, for at least 20 minutes or for up to several hours. (The steam will loosen the skins.) Remove the pepper halves from the bag. Peel the peppers with your hands, using a paring knife to scrape away any peel that doesn’t come off easily; discard the skins. Or, whole bell peppers can be roasted on a grill over a hot charcoal fire or over the flame of a gas stove. Remove the stem and seeds before using. Use right away or store the peeled peppers and their juices in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Chives are members of the onion family. Given a choice, buy potted chives; they are fresher than cut ones. Use scissors to snip off what you need, cutting off whole blades rather than chopping the tops off all the blades. If you buy cut chives, wrap them in a damp paper towel, seal in a plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Add chives to a dish toward the end of the cooking time to help retain their flavor. Do not substitute dried chives for fresh; use the green part of green onions cut into julienne strips instead.

When we think of pea soup, we usually think of a slow-cooked soup made with dried split peas and flavored with ham. This version, made with frozen fresh peas, is smoother in texture and fresher in flavor, and it’s much quicker to prepare. Serve with Cheese Sticks on the side.

Makes 5 cups (4 to 6 servings)

½ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (see Tips)

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped onion

1 leek (white part only), halved lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into
¹
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-inch slices

2 cloves garlic, minced

1½ cups vegetable stock

1 16-ounce bag frozen baby peas (see Tips)

2 carrots, cut into
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₈
-inch slices

1½ cups milk

2 teaspoons sugar

˜ dash of freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste

˜ salt and ground white pepper to taste

˜ Buttered Croutons for garnish

Stir together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning; set aside.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, leek, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the vegetable stock and peas. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, steam the carrots in a covered steamer over boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Or, put the carrots in a small microwave-proof dish and add about 2 tablespoons water. Cover tightly and microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

In several batches, purée the pea mixture and the milk in a blender until smooth.

Return the soup to the pan. Stir in the carrots, sugar, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir gently over medium heat until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Top each serving with a dollop of Parmesan Cream and croutons.

Refrigerate this soup and the Parmesan cream in separate covered containers for up to 3 days. When reheating the soup, stir in milk or vegetable stock to thin as desired.

TIPS

The best-quality Parmesan cheese is Italy’s Parmigiano-Reggiano. Aged 3 to 4 years, it has a granular texture and complex flavor compared with domestic varieties, which are aged for only about 1 year. The imported cheese also melts beautifully in soup. Buy Parmesan in blocks and use a hand grater or food processor to grate your own just before using. Or, purchase freshly grated Parmesan at a cheese shop or deli. Sealed in a tightly closed container, grated Parmesan will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It can be frozen; however, the flavor and texture will deteriorate. Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated, a block of Parmesan will keep for up to 6 weeks.

Generally, the flavor of baby peas, or petits pois, is preferable to that of the regular-sized peas. Harvested when young, baby peas remain especially sweet after picking; they also retain a brighter green color and a firmer texture.

Vegan recipe if pecans are omitted

Tart apples, a sweet yam, ginger, and curry are the magical components of this soup. In addition to the sweet and salty pecans, top servings with colorful pomegranate seeds if you make this in October, November, or December.

Makes 6 cups (6 servings)

pecans

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 teaspoons water

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (4 ounces) whole pecans

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 leek (white part only), halved lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into ¼-inch slices

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons curry powder (see Tips)

5 cups vegetable stock

1 orange-fleshed sweet potato (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks (about 2 cups)

2 Granny Smith or other tart apples, cored, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes

½ cup dry white wine

˜ salt and ground white pepper to taste

˜ pomegranate seeds (see Tips) or dried cranberries for garnish

Preheat the oven to 250° F. Line a jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil and spray it with vegetable-oil cooking spray. Melt the butter in a small nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the corn syrup, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pecans and stir until completely coated. Spread the nuts in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake, stirring occasionally, for about 60 minutes, or until lightly browned and dry. Transfer to a plate and let cool, then coarsely chop. (Whole pecans will sink to the bottom of soup bowls.)

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, leek, garlic, ginger, and curry powder; cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek is softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the vegetable stock, sweet potato, apples, and wine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes.

In several batches, purée the soup in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and reheat to serving temperature. Season to taste.

Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of pecans and pomegranate seeds.

This soup will keep for up to 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. Store the nuts for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.

TIPS

Curry powder, a mixture of many herbs and spices, is blended in literally thousands of versions according to the region of India, traditions, and the tastes of the cook. Standard curry powders are quite mild; imported brands, often called Madras, are usually hotter. To eliminate the raw taste of curry powder, sauté it in butter or oil rather than simply adding it to a dish. Since curry powder quickly loses its pungency, purchase it in small quantities, and store airtight in a dark, dry place for up to 3 months.

Pomegranates yield bright red, sweet, tart, and edible seeds and are available from October through December. They can be refrigerated for up to 2 months. To use, cut the fruit in half and pry out the seeds, removing any light-colored membrane that adheres. To simplify the task and avoid splashes of the juice, submerge each half in a bowl of cold water and tear the flesh apart under water. The seeds will drop to the bottom and the pulp will float. Remove the pulp with a slotted spoon and strain the seeds.