I’m addicted to soups: hot, cold, elegant, hearty, starters or meals, vegetarian, vegan, and chock-full of chicken, meat, or fish. I have written a book, Soup: A Way of Life, about these favorites; however, some of those soups use flour as a thickener, and others are rich with butter, cream, and even have noodles. Others, of course, are perfectly usable.
Fortunately, I have had no problem making new recipes as I cook soup at least once a week and seldom the same one. In the older soups, potato starch or rice flour can be used instead of wheat flour. I roast a chicken (see page 86) at least once a week, and the bones—cooked almost endlessly in water—give me a quart of stock I often freeze to have on hand. I welcome the arrival of good stocks—organic when possible—in paper sterile packs—to keep for times when I’m short. The same pack of tomatoes and a fair supply of leftover wine provide other liquids, as, of course, does water.
I miss homemade egg noodles, but many of the commercially available gluten-free pastas are quite good, as are mung bean noodles, which I often use. I am constantly using my new array of starches. Quinoa is a favorite as it cooks quickly and has a fabulous nutritional profile. All of the soups in this chapter meet my guidelines for good flavor and safety.
These are the delights of warm weather. Sometimes at room temperature, sometimes chilled, and sometimes gelled.
This is a delicious cold soup made with seasonal—from my garden—produce. But it uses the veggies that are no longer prime for eating, those passed over while I’ve had a choice of so many; the green beans that have escaped picking until they are larger than I would like; and the cucumbers that have hidden until they are giants. Of course, it can be made with more ordinary produce; but I like ways of not abandoning my organic productions.
This is a slightly drab green with the crispness of raw cucumber and a hint of spice. It also has the advantage of being gluten- and lactose-free. It can be made vegetarian by using a vegetable stock (see page 206).
Like all cold soups, this should be made ahead to get really chilly. Make as much as possible with the veggies that are available, since the recipe multiplies and divides easily. It keeps well for several days and freezes equally well. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
3 pounds green beans—no need to tip and tail
3 pounds Kirby cucumbers, peeled and seeded
¾ teaspoon Thai green chili paste (see Note)
3 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
1 cup coconut milk (see Note)
Kosher salt
Put the beans in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a low boil. Cook for at least 2 hours or until limp and soft. Add more water as needed to keep the beans covered. Drain and put through the fine disc of a food mill. There will be about 3 cups.
Grate the raw cucumbers using the next-to-smallest holes of a box grater. There will be about 3 cups.
Dissolve the chili paste in the heated stock.
Combine the vegetables and stock and refrigerate. Stir in the coconut milk and refrigerate until really cold. Stir in salt to taste.
MAKES ABOUT 9 CUPS; SERVES 6
NOTES
Green Chili Paste
I prefer to use green chili paste from Thailand, but another chili paste can be substituted. Increase the amount if you have eaters who love hot.
Coconut Milk
I buy canned coconut milk. A can contains 14 ounces, and many recipes, like this one, won’t use all of it. It should keep for months in the refrigerator. Instead of mixing the coconut milk into the soup before chilling it, it can be served in a pitcher alongside, so that people can add their own.
Every spring I revel in the clear clean acidity of sorrel. It is available only rarely in shops other than in the spring. That’s a shame as I have discovered in my garden, if one is ruthless about deadheading the plants, sorrel can be available almost all summer and again in the fall. A sadness has been that my favorite, cold sorrel soup, has always called for cream. This is a case where coconut milk can be substituted without evoking alien cuisines. The sorrel is strong enough to remain the dominant flavor, not yielding to the coconut. I suggest making at least a double quantity as a dividend for the refrigerator.
Save the egg whites for meringues (pages 29 and 174).
½ pound sorrel, stemmed, cleaned, and cut across into ¼-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack), plus more if desired
1 cup coconut milk
4 egg yolks
Kosher salt
Pat the sorrel dry and put it into a stainless-steel pot with the olive oil. Stirring from time to time, cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, until wilted and no longer green.
Add the stock and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, gently whisk together the coconut milk and the egg yolks. Still whisking, add some of the sorrel and stock mixture to the yolks. Stir back into the remaining sorrel mixture. Heat, stirring particularly in the corners and bottom of the pot, until thickened. Stir in salt to taste, but be careful: salt and acid each make the other taste stronger.
Remove from the heat and stir until cool to the touch. Refrigerate until chilled. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add extra stock.
MAKES 4 CUPS; SERVES 3 OR 4
James Beard wrote Recipes for the Cuisinart Food Processor soon after the Cuisinart was introduced into the United States. He asked me to contribute a recipe, which I gladly did. This may be the most often prepared of my recipes in addition to Basic Roast Chicken (page 86). So here it is, once more again, for Jim.
½ medium Bermuda or other sweet white onion, quartered
1½ firm medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into chunks
2 small green bell peppers, cored, seeded, deribbed, and cut into eighths
6 medium to large ripe tomatoes, cored, peeled, and cut into eighths
5 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 cup tomato juice, plus more if desired
½ cup light-flavored olive oil
¾ teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
Place the onion in a food processor and process until finely chopped, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Scrape into a large bowl.
Repeat with the cucumbers and then the green peppers, adding each to the onion in the bowl.
Process five of the tomatoes until finely chopped but not puréed. Add to the other chopped vegetables.
Put the remaining tomato with the garlic, tomato juice, oil, and chili powder in the food processor and process until a smooth liquid has formed. Combine with the chopped vegetables, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.
Before serving, season with the salt. If the soup is too thick, add more tomato juice.
MAKES 6 CUPS; SERVES 4 TO 6
This is a jazzier version of a gelled chicken stock.
Sixteen ½-inch cubes peeled ginger (about 5 ounces)
Three 2-inch pieces bulb end of lemongrass (from 3 stalks) and three 2-inch pieces from greener end, cut across into thin strips
3 serrano chilies, cut across into ¼-inch slices
Grated zest of 4 limes
12 cups Extra-Rich Chicken Stock (page 204)
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
3 egg whites, lightly beaten, plus shells from 8 eggs, crushed
1 pound ground chicken
1 large tomato, cut into ¼-inch dice
FOR SERVING
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
2 limes, each cut into 3 wedges and seeded
In a tall narrow stockpot, bring the ginger, lemongrass, chilies, lime zest, and stock to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Season with the salt.
Mash the egg whites and shells, the ground chicken, and the tomato together. Whisk this into the cooled broth. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. As the liquid comes to a boil, the solids will rise to the top of the broth. This “raft” will draw the impurities out of the stock and leave a clear broth. When the soup has come to a boil, immediately lower the heat. Poke a hole in the raft and simmer very slowly for 15 minutes. The resulting broth should be crystal clear.
Disturbing the soup as little as possible, ladle it through a coffee filter. Do not press down on the solids. Chill overnight (the soup will keep for 3 to 4 days). Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro and a lime wedge.
MAKES 7 CUPS; SERVES 6 AS A FIRST COURSE
These are the comforters. They can be elegant or peasanty. All are designed to be eaten hot, rather than just warm.
Simplicity can really be best, especially in spring, when the new vegetables are young and tender. I was all prepared with scallions and mint when I set out to make this soup. They turned out to be unneeded. The soup didn’t even need salt, but add some if wanted.
The soup is dependent on tender, sweet young peas and the quantity can be divided or multiplied using the following simple formula. Each 3 pounds of peas in the pod give about 1 pound shelled peas; each pound shelled peas should be brought to a boil in about 1¼ cups chicken stock; after cooking for about 1 hour, this will yield enough soup for 3 to 4 servings. In this recipe, I’ve doubled the amounts to serve 6 to 8; keep in mind that larger quantities will need to cook longer.
2 pounds peas, shelled
2½ quarts chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
Put the peas and chicken stock in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat until the mixture just bubbles lightly. Cook for 1¾ hours or until the peas are just soft.
Pass the soup through a food mill fitted with the fine disc or use a food processor to purée it in batches. Reheat before serving.
SERVES 6 TO 8
I hate throwing food out. For years I pinched the stems off sorrel leaves and chucked them. Then one day as I was cleaning the sorrel, it occurred to me that maybe something could be done with them. I boiled them up, and lo and behold, the liquid in which they boiled had a wonderful flavor of sorrel. At that point I did chuck the stems, but I made a lovely soup—elegant enough for any dinner.
2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes (about 1½ pounds)
1 pound sorrel stems (from 2 pounds sorrel)
7 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
Preheat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the middle. Put in the potatoes and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on size. Remove the potatoes from the oven, peel, and cut into ½-inch cubes.
In a large saucepan, bring the sorrel stems and chicken stock to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the stems are tender and have turned olive green, about 10 minutes. Remove the stems with a strainer and discard; add the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 5 minutes. Purée the mixture in a blender and serve immediately. If the soup is too thick, add water until it is the desired consistency.
MAKES 6 CUPS; SERVES 4
I had a request to begin dinner with artichokes one weekend. I went to the supermarket; the regular artichokes looked drawn and frazzled. However, there were some wonderful-looking ones with their long stems attached. Of course, they were more expensive; but I got four of them and got even by making a very good soup that was enough for four to six. I added—but it was not essential—2 cups of cooked shelled beans that I had frozen the previous fall. Rinsed canned beans could be substituted. Although healthy, this soup is rich, and small bowls are enough.
4 large artichokes with long stems attached, each about 1½ pounds with 10-inch stems
1 cup chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack), plus more if desired
2 cups cooked shelled beans (see page 217) or rinsed, canned beans, such as cranberry or white beans (optional)
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon dill seeds, or 1 tablespoon chopped dill
Cut the stems from the artichokes and cut into ½-inch pieces. With a knife, trim the top 1 inch from each artichoke and trim off the ends and the bottom leaves. With scissors, cut off the tips of the bottom three rows of leaves.
Place the artichokes with stems into a 9-inch sauté pan with water to cover—about 7 cups. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and keep at a low boil for 2¾ hours or until a knife slips easily into the stems. Add more water as need be to keep the pieces just covered.
Drain the cooked artichokes through a sieve, saving the liquid (about 5 cups). Reserve 1 cup of liquid and save the rest for another use. Remove the artichokes and pass the pieces through a food mill fitted with the fine disc. There will be 3 cups of a thinnish purée. Heat the purée with 1 cup of the cooking liquid and the chicken stock. Vegetarians could use 2 cups of the cooking liquid instead. Add the beans now if using them.
Season with the salt, adjusting the amount according to the saltiness of the stock and the canned beans. Bring the soup to a boil and add the dill seeds. If the soup seems too thick, add more artichoke stock or chicken stock.
MAKES 8 CUPS; SERVES 6 OR MORE AS A FIRST COURSE
This incredibly easy soup can be made—except for a large bunch of dill—from ingredients in the cupboard. The only work is stripping off the dill fronds and chopping them. Don’t stint on the cooking time or the dill. These are what make the soup special.
I made this for four guests, and they ate it all. So, beware; 12 cups is not as much as it seems.
12 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
1 package sterile-pack strained tomatoes (about 26 ounces)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1¼ cups lightly packed finely chopped dill fronds
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Place the chicken stock and tomatoes in a medium saucepan and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 45 minutes. The level of liquid will lower by about 1 inch. Right before serving, increase the heat level to medium and add the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately. Any leftovers are good cold.
MAKES ABOUT 12 CUPS; SERVES 6
The name applies not only to the base of this soup but also to its vibrant color, silken smoothness, and elegance—enough to open a festive meal. It doesn’t get much simpler than this. It is easily multiplied. It needs to be divided to go into a blender. A food processor should take the whole thing.
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks (about 1 pound)
5 to 6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
3 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Put the carrots and garlic in a food processor and chop for 1 to 2 minutes. Move the carrot mixture to a 2-quart pot and add the stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cook until the carrots are tender enough to be smashed with a spoon, about 20 minutes. Pour into a food processor or blender and blend until silky smooth, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES 4 CUPS; SERVES 4
While this soup can be made in the winter with canned corn kernels and defrosted small green peas, it is at its glorious best in late summer, when the second round of peas is ripe and the corn is young and tender. The tarragon is a surprising but delightful accent that doesn’t overwhelm the delicately sweet vegetable flavors.
If you have extra, it freezes well.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (about ¾ cup)
2 large white mushrooms (2 to 3 ounces total), cleaned, stems trimmed, and cut into ¼-inch dice (about ¾ cup)
5 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
1½ cups fresh corn kernels, from 1 or 2 ears, or one 15½-ounce can, drained
1½ cups shelled peas (about 1 pound in the pod)
2 large sprigs tarragon, leaves removed and roughly chopped (1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Once the oil shimmers, reduce the heat to low and add the onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until soft, 2 minutes more.
Add the stock; bring to a boil. Add the corn and peas and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the peas and corn are fully cooked, 5 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through. Season with the tarragon and salt. Serve immediately.
MAKES 5 CUPS; SERVES 4
This simple soup can be the reward for having cooked beans and parsley purée in the refrigerator. I am not being stingy in my serving suggestions: the soup is rich, and more is not needed for a first course. With a salad, it would be a good main course for two or three.
3 cups green rice beans, blanched (about 1¼ cups raw beans, see page 214), or small flageolet beans
4 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
Kosher salt
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley (about 2 ounces), washed and dried
2¼ cups tomato purée (homemade, page 208, or sterile-pack)
6 small cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
½ cup loosely packed basil leaves, cut across into ¼-inch strips (about ¼ cup)
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine the beans and stock in a 2-quart pot and boil for 15 minutes over high heat, or until the beans are tender.
Place 2 quarts water and ¼ cup salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Remove the leaves from the parsley. Discard the stems or save for making stock. When the water is boiling, drop all the leaves into the pot. Cook until the leaves are still bright green but very soft, about 4 minutes. Drain the leaves in a colander and rinse with cold running water until cool. Drain well. Place the leaves in a blender and process until smooth (about 3 to 4 minutes), adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as necessary to get the mixture moving.
Add the parsley purée, tomato purée, and garlic to the beans. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the garlic is soft, about 7 minutes. Add the basil and cook until the basil is just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
MAKES 4 CUPS; SERVES 4 TO 6
This is a warm and filling soup for a cold night—even, when accompanied by a salad, as a main course for dinner.
8 thick strips bacon (about 6 ounces), cut across into ¼-inch strips
¼ pound white mushrooms, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and finely chopped
2 cups dried cannellini beans, cooked and drained (see page 214) (about 5⅓ cups)
2 tablespoons sage leaves, cut across into ⅛-inch strips
6 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cook the bacon in a 4-quart stockpot over low heat until crisp. Move it to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the mushrooms to the stockpot and sauté over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
Chop the carrot chunks coarsely in a food processor (about 30 seconds) and add to the mushrooms. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft.
Add the garlic, beans, sage, bacon, and chicken stock. Simmer for 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS; SERVES 4
I love preserving the food from my garden and making up new recipes. Even after all these years I have learned a neat new trick. I made a soup with overaged green beans, cooked sorrel, and some chicken stock. It needed some body. In the blender, I puréed the drained and rinsed contents of a can of chickpeas with olive oil and some of the soup. I then combined this with the remaining soup, and it worked perfectly. I am going to try this thickening in other recipes. It is easy and has the benefit of adding a solid boost of protein without any dairy.
Eliminate the chicken stock and this becomes a versatile sauce for pasta, a simple fish, or poached chicken—I call it Basic Best Sauce.
4 pounds large, oldish green beans, not tipped or tailed
1 cup Sorrel Sauce (page 47)
2 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
One 19-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Place the green beans in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to produce a slow boil. Cook for at least 2 hours or until the beans are very soft, adding water as needed to keep the beans covered. Drain. Pass the beans through the fine disc of a food mill.
Combine the green bean purée, sorrel sauce, chicken stock, and salt in a saucepan. Put 1 cup of this mixture into a blender along with the chickpeas and olive oil. Purée until smooth. Add the purée back to the saucepan and heat.
SERVES 6 AMPLY
This is a delicious hot soup for the chill evenings of spring. Don’t make it for those who dislike ginger. It has a texture that people think creamy but that comes from the purée and the thickening with potato starch. If you have no potato starch on hand, use cornstarch—good but not quite as.
1 large head broccoli (about 1¼ pounds), stems trimmed of hard bottoms; leaves pulled off; stems separated from heads, peeled, and cut across into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups); and heads divided into florets about 1 inch at top (about 5 cups)
8 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
¼ ounce ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
3 tablespoons potato starch
2 tablespoons kosher salt, or to taste
Put the broccoli stems and florets into a pot with the chicken stock. The stock should cover the broccoli. Bring to a boil. Add the ginger and reduce to a simmer hot enough so that there are some bubbles. Cook for 45 minutes or until the stems are easily pierced with a knife. Pass through a food mill using the fine disc, or purée in batches in a food processor—less work, but not quite as good.
Allow to cool slightly. Whisk the potato starch with 1 cup of the soup. Thoroughly whisk the starch mixture into the remaining soup so that there are no lumps. Stir in the salt. Return to a simmer, whisking until thickened. Serve or save and reheat gently.
MAKES 8 CUPS; SERVES 8
I have always found it tedious to scrape the fibrous and seedy interiors out of acorn squash before cooking them. Fortunately, I have found the answer: use a melon baller or, even better, a squash corer such as is used for zucchini. This will encourage the making of the traditional squash purée, which can then be the basis for this delightful soup.
This soup isn’t too rich to go before a turkey dinner.
1½ pounds acorn squash, split, seeds and fibers scraped or scooped from center
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
½ teaspoon curry powder, preferably Caribbean
1 cup chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
Kosher salt
Place the acorn halves side by side, cut side down, in a dish just large enough to hold them. Cover tightly. Microwave for 7 minutes. The flesh should be soft enough to be pierced easily with a knife. Scoop out the squash flesh into a food processor. Add the garlic. Purée thoroughly and for a longish time until smooth. Add the curry powder and chicken stock. Process again. Add salt to taste.
Transfer to a saucepan to warm on the stove. This soup can also be made ahead and reheated.
MAKES 6 CUPS; SERVES 4 AMPLY
Come the darkest days of winter, I am happy to welcome a version of that French children’s staple, a hearty potage. This one is made with those vegetables that serenely winter over, squash and leeks. I used an acorn squash. The French might ordinarily use a cooking pumpkin.
I change things around a bit by adding some fresh ginger, which gives a warm background taste. I also top the soup with crisp pieces of slab bacon called lardons.
1 pound halved, seeded, and peeled acorn squash in 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
½ pound trimmed white and palest green parts leeks in 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 pound baking potato, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut across into 1-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
3 fifty-cent-size slices peeled ginger
4 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Slab bacon, cut into ½-inch strips and fried until crisp (optional)
Place the squash, leeks, potato, ginger, and stock (or water for vegetarians) in a smallish stockpot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, still covered, until the vegetables are easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife—about 25 minutes. Remove the ginger. With a skimmer or slotted spoon, put the solids in a food processor and process until puréed. Return the purée to the stock and stir. Season to taste.
To serve, reheat. If using the lardons, float them on top of the soup.
MAKES 7 CUPS; SERVES 4 TO 6
A soup that is easy to make, delicious, and loaded with nutrients.
1½ pounds kale, cleaned, stemmed, and roughly chopped (about 6 cups)
⅓ cup olive oil
9 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
3 Idaho potatoes (about 8 ounces each), peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices
Kosher salt
Working in batches, place the chopped kale in a food processor and process for 3 to 4 minutes, until almost puréed. Move the kale to a large saucepan, add the oil, and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes, until the greens have become soft and dark.
Put the chicken stock and potatoes into another large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until the potatoes can be pierced easily with the tip of a sharp knife, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the stock and cooked potatoes to the food processor and process until the mixture is smooth and uniform, about 4 minutes.
Combine the cooked kale and potato and stock mixture in a large saucepan and mix well. Season with salt to taste.
MAKES 8 GENEROUS CUPS; SERVES 8
Most lentil soups are a dull brown. This one from Soup: A Way of Life is enlivened in both color and flavor by the additions.
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 medium bunches scallions, trimmed, white part cut across into ¼-inch pieces, plus enough green part to make ½ cup
1 pound dried brown lentils
5½ to 6 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
3 small cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1⅓ pounds green chard, leaves roughly chopped and stems reserved for another use
1 medium bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil, paprika, and cumin over low heat, stirring, until the spices are aromatic, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the scallion whites. Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the lentils, stock, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are almost done.
Stir in the scallion greens, chard, cilantro, and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the chard is cooked through and the lentils are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES 8 CUPS; SERVES 6
Many soups can serve as an entire meal. The six recipes that follow are meant to.
Quinoa, one of the most nutritious and delicious grains, comes to us from Peru. See page 228 for more about it. With only chicken stock and a little olive oil, this is a soup that can be a meal. It is worth making extra as it improves slightly with a day’s wait.
I made this soup after a trip to Syria. It is an authentic nothing; but the combination of spices appealed to me.
8 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
¾ cup whole, uncooked quinoa
12 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 3½ cups)
⅓ pound haricots verts (slim green beans), tipped and tailed
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ teaspoon anise seeds
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon coriander seeds
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring the stock to a boil in a stockpot. Add the quinoa, garlic, and potatoes and cook for about 12 minutes, until the tip of a knife easily pierces the potato.
Bring 2 to 3 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the beans. Drain when thoroughly cooked but still bright green, after 4 to 5 minutes. Cut into thirds and toss in the olive oil.
Add the beans, anise seeds, oregano, and coriander seeds to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES 8 GENEROUS CUPS; SERVES 4 TO 8
Well, of course, I do not have a Chinese grandmother, nor would this be her soup if I did. Her chicken would be neatly sliced. I doubt there would be fennel. However, this does make my point that almost all cultures have a chicken soup and that borrowing from one country’s cooking for another is endemic. This gradual way of cooking the birds leaves them moist and tender. Serve in large flat soup bowls.
2 small chickens (about 6½ pounds together), innards and wing tips removed and reserved for another use
8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
¼ pound ginger, unpeeled, cut into large chunks
9 cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
1 large fennel bulb, stalks removed, halved, and cut into 1-inch slices (about 3 cups), fronds reserved if desired
¼ pound young carrots, peeled
One 8-ounce package rice sticks or fine gluten-free noodles
Small green beans, tipped and tailed (about 2 cups)
1 large bunch scallions, trimmed and cut across into 1-inch pieces
½ cup gluten-free soy sauce
1 bunch cilantro (optional)
In a large heavy pot, put the chickens side by side breast up, leg end of one next to the breast end of the other. Add the garlic, ginger, stock, and 12 cups water. The water will not cover the birds. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat by half and cook for 20 minutes. Add the fennel and carrots. Return to a boil, uncovered. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Let the soup sit for up to 12 hours.
Put the rice sticks or fine noodles in a large bowl of warm water. Stir and let rest for 1 hour.
Before serving, return the soup to a boil and add the green beans, scallions, and soy sauce. Cook until the beans are barely tender. Stir in the drained rice sticks or noodles. Cook for 3 minutes.
Serve accompanied by cilantro leaves and/or chopped fennel fronds on the side.
Serve from a large bowl. The chicken can easily be pulled apart into pieces. Do not serve the ginger.
SERVES 4 TO 6
Well, it could just as easily be called a “stew.” It is an extremely pretty, nonfattening main course that can easily be multiplied. Serve with large soupspoons, seafood forks, and a bowl for the shells. Use a pan wider than would seem normal. It helps the seafood—particularly clams—cook evenly.
The pasta is optional. I like to use it at the end to finish the delicious broth. I don’t add it to the soup.
2 cups Extra-Rich Fish Stock (page 205)
½ cup white wine
2 medium stalks celery, peeled and cut on the diagonal into ¼-inch-wide pieces (about 1 cup)
3 medium scallions, trimmed of root end and dark green part and cut across into 1-inch pieces (about ⅔ cup)
12 small clams, littleneck or winkles
5 stalks asparagus, tough end snapped off, peeled, and cut into 1-inch lengths (about ½ cup)
¾ cup shelled new peas (about 3 ounces; 8 ounces in the pod)
12 smallest mussels
8 medium shrimp, peeled and cleaned
6 ounces cod fillet, skinned and cut into 2 pieces
¼ cup tightly packed finely chopped tarragon
2 cups gluten-free penne pasta (optional)
Olive oil
Place the stock, wine, celery, and scallions in a wide 5- to 6-quart braising pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the clams and cook until they just begin to open, about 1 minute. Place the asparagus stems (not tips) and peas in the liquid and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the mussels and cook until they just begin to open, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Add the asparagus tips and place the fish on top, cooking until the fish is white on the surface. Sprinkle the tarragon over the soup. Do not add salt and pepper as the amount will vary greatly depending on the level of salt in the seafood. Serve immediately.
Have a bowl of penne pasta cooked in salted water, drained, and tossed in olive oil for those who wish.
SERVES 2
There was a weird year when, in the week of Thanksgiving, I cooked a dozen turkeys. My book Roasting: A Simple Art had come out, and it seemed that every television show in the surrounding area wanted to see the mad woman roast a turkey in 2 hours at 500°F. The stint culminated with my cooking, nerve-rackingly, a turkey in real time on Good Morning America. Then I went home and cooked yet one more turkey for my family.
By that time I was tired of turkey. The redemption came in all the wonderful stock I made with the carcasses—all meat removed—and leftover bones snatched from people’s plates. (Don’t worry, they boil.) All that has to be done is to cover them generously with water, about 12 cups; bring to a boil partly covered, and simmer for as long as possible—up to 12 hours. I do not add vegetables or seasonings to this or any other stock. I keep it as neutral as possible so that I don’t end up with sage in my curry or carrots in my tarragon soup or sauce. Soups made without vegetables are also less likely to sour. That is the turkey stock recipe, and it couldn’t be easier.
I never get tired of the wonderful richness of turkey stock, and it can be frozen for later use. This is fortunate because Thanksgiving isn’t the only time that I roast a turkey. Each summer I startle the butcher two or three times by requesting a fresh turkey. I find it’s the ideal food—not for a meal but to feed late-arriving guests and to have around to be picked on during the weekend: what one friend of my son calls “Barbara’s instant leftovers.”
The addition of some boiled noodles, peas, and tarragon or some fennel and fennel fronds or some carrots and cooked rice makes good soups. All of which and more started me on my way to Soup: A Way of Life.
Recently, I came up with a more unusual way to use turkey stock. I combined it with curry powder. The rich flavors seem to go together very well.
For an even more substantial soup, add additional rice, pasta, or leftover turkey meat. Enhanced this way, this recipe could serve up to 12.
3 tablespoons safflower oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 pound onions, cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
¼ pound white mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
8 cups turkey stock
1¾ pounds sweet potatoes, cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
6 ounces broccoli, stems peeled, cut into small pieces (about ½ cup)
¾ pound carrots, cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
10 ounces celery (3 large stalks), cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1 pound zucchini, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
3 cups leftover turkey meat, cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 cups cooked rice or pasta
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Add the oil to a 6-quart pot over medium heat. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the onions and cook for 10 minutes or until softened. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the stock. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Add the sweet potatoes, broccoli, and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes longer. Add the celery and zucchini and cook for 10 minutes. Add the turkey and cook until warm. Add the rice, salt, and lime juice and season with pepper to taste.
SERVES 8
One way to capture the Antilles at home is with a fish soup as good as anything from the south of France, although the Caribbean version boasts the pumpkin-gold color of giraumon squash instead of the tomato-red of the French original. Islanders use rockfish as the base for this soup; I have substituted butterfish, which are much more easily available in New York.
In the Antilles, all fish and seafood, except salt cod, tends to be marinated in the mixture called bain Antillais before any kind of cooking, whether stewing, as here, or grilling.
BAIN ANTILLAIS (for 2 to 3 pounds fish and seafood)
Juice of 2 lemons
½ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ fresh hot pepper (jalapeño or Scotch bonnet if really spicy is desired), seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced
SOUP
1½ pounds small whole fish—red snapper, butterfish, etc.—cut into 3-inch chunks, with head and tail
2 pounds small fish fillets, cut into chunks, all bones, heads, and tails saved
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ pound carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (about ½ cup)
4 leeks, washed and cut into ½-inch dice
1 pound giraumon (calabaza), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice (about 2 cups)
¼ pound igname (yam), breadfruit, or potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (about 1¼ cups)
¼ pound turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (about 1 cup)
½ pound tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks (about ½ cup)
8 scallions, trimmed and cut across into ¼-inch slices
¼ teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 bay leaf
2 small fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
¼ cup tomato purée (homemade, page 208, or canned crushed tomatoes in purée)
½ cup dry white wine
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
MARINATE THE FISH: Combine all bain Antillais ingredients in a bowl that will not corrode.
Wash the fish well to remove any traces of blood. Marinate in the bain Antillais for 1 to 2 hours.
MAKE THE SOUP: Heat the oil in a stock pot. Quickly sauté all the fish, bones, and heads except the fillets; reserve them in the marinade until the end of the recipe. Add the carrots, leeks, giraumon, igname, turnips, and tomatoes. Stir to coat with oil. Add 2 cups water and the scallions, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, and jalapeños. Simmer over medium heat until the fish is completely cooked and beginning to shred and the vegetables can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve. Put the vegetables and fish through the fine disc of a food mill. There will be 3 cups of purée and 3 cups of liquid (if not, add water). Add 1 cup of liquid to the purée. Stir the tomato purée and white wine into the purée-liquid mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour the remaining liquid into a small saucepan. Bring quickly to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the reserved fish fillets. Cover and allow to steep for 5 minutes or until just done. Meanwhile, heat the purée-liquid and ladle into six bowls. Divide the fish among the bowls and serve immediately.
SERVES 6
Some version of fish soup, including this one without any pieces of fish, is made all along the Mediterranean. It is rich and inviting and will vary from area to area.
½ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
8 medium cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Two 2½-gram packages saffron threads
½ cup dry white wine, preferably Macon or sauvignon blanc
One and a half 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes in purée, strained and lightly crushed
5 cups Extra-Rich Fish Stock (page 205)
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ bay leaf
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup anise liquor, like Pernod
Place the oil in a medium stockpot over low heat, add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 7 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cayenne. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Soak the saffron in ¼ cup of the white wine for a few minutes. Stir the saffron wine, tomatoes, fish stock, thyme, and bay leaf into the onion. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Pass the soup through a food mill fitted with the medium disc. Return the soup to the pot. Season with the salt and pepper. The soup can be made ahead up to this point and refrigerated.
In a small saucepan, heat the anise liquor. Carefully set it on fire and allow the alcohol to burn off. Pour the anise liquor into the soup. Stir in the remaining wine, bring to a boil, and serve immediately.