Rhubarb-Orange Soup
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Time: 30 minutes, plus time to chill
M O
Since first having this soup in England, where rhubarb is much more popular than in the United States, I can’t help making it at the first sight of rhubarb in the market.
- 1 medium orange
- 2 pounds rhubarb stalks, trimmed
- 1 cup sugar
- Whipped Cream (page 700) or Vegan Whipped Cream (page 701), sour cream, crème fraîche, or lightly sweetened yogurt for garnish (optional)
- Grate the zest of the orange and juice the orange. String the rhubarb, then cut it into roughly 2-inch lengths.
- Put the rhubarb, sugar, 4 cups water, orange juice, and half the zest in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. (Wrap and refrigerate the remaining zest.) Turn the heat down to medium and cook until the rhubarb begins to fall apart, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Chill; if you’re in a hurry, pour the mixture into a large bowl and set that bowl in an even larger bowl filled with ice water. When cool, whisk briefly to break up the rhubarb, adding the reserved zest at the same time. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Serve cold, garnished as you like.
Cranberry-Orange Soup Lovely after a filling Thanksgiving or any meal: Substitute 1 pound cranberries for the rhubarb. Thin the soup with more orange juice if necessary.
Quince-Ginger Soup Another sweet-tart soup: Substitute 2 teaspoons grated or minced fresh ginger for the orange zest and 2 pounds quince, roughly chopped (skin, core, and all), for the rhubarb. Proceed with the recipe, cooking the quince until the orange juice has a pinkish red tinge and the flesh is soft; strain, discard the flesh, and chill the soup.