WHITE BEAN GUAZZETTO with SHELLFISH and GREENS
CREAM of POTATO SOUP with VARIATIONS
If I eat a bowl of soup as a first course, I find that I’m often too full to finish the main course. When I cook for myself at home, however, I don’t usually make a series of courses, so a big bowl of soup can be my entire meal—the perfect solo supper. I start with a simple base and keep adding relevant ingredients until I have a stewy, filling soup.
In the winter, legumes, grains, and pasta are the means to achieving a comforting and satisfying soup meal. Leftover bread or tortillas also add body to extend a stock base. Soup is an ideal vehicle for using leftover meat or poultry, bits of cooked greens, or other vegetables, too. Shellfish, which always seem to add a touch of luxury to a meal, can turn a staid soup into a special-occasion repast.
Soup is a good candidate for reheating, so it pays to make two portions of the basic recipe. You can always play with additions with subsequent reheats.
On a vacation in the Yucatán in Mexico, I tasted my first bowl of sopa di lima. In its pure, stripped-down form, it was a delightful first course that awakened my appetite. Over the years, I have played with the basic recipe and have added diced avocado, corn, and even rice to make the soup substantial enough to be supper. Sopa di lima is usually made with chicken, but I find that shrimp works well, too. My one caveat about this soup is to be careful not to “overheat” the stock with excessive chiles. The first bite may be fine, but heat increases with every mouthful, possibly making the soup too fiery for comfort. What is important is the balance between the tartness of the lime and the heat of the chiles.
6 ounces boneless, skinless raw chicken breast, leftover cooked chicken or turkey, or raw small or medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Chicken stock or water for poaching the chicken, if needed, plus 4 cups chicken stock reduced to 2 cups
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup diced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely minced jalapeño chile, or to taste
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
Kernels from 1 ear of corn (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons minced green onion, including tender green tops
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Canola or corn oil for frying tortillas
1 or 2 corn tortillas, cut into strips 11/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
2 paper-thin lime slices, each quartered
If using raw chicken, poach the chicken breast in a saucepan with stock to cover until just cooked through, about 8 minutes. You may poach the breast whole and then shred the meat, or you may cut the breast into 1/2-inch-wide pieces and poach them. They will cook in half the time. If using cooked chicken or turkey, cut into 1/2 inch-wide strips. You should have about 1 cup. If using raw shrimp, simmer them in stock to cover for 2 minutes. You can instead cook them in their shells in the stock used for the soup ahead of time, to give the soup a more shrimpy taste, then peel and devein them, or you may add them, already peeled and deveined, during the last 2 minutes of cooking the soup.
To make the soup base, in a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and chile and sauté, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the reduced stock and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, corn, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes to blend the flavors. If you are using shrimp and haven’t cooked them, add them now; if you are using leftover cooked chicken, add it now as well. Cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
While the soup simmers, pour the canola oil to the depth of about 1 inch in a small, deep sauté pan and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tortilla strips and fry briefly until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Put the avocado in a large bowl and pour the hot soup over it. Top with the pieces of lime and the tortilla strips.
Variation: For a version that is less soupy and more like chilaquiles, use only 3/4 cup stock and add 2 torn tortillas to the mixture to heat through. Omit the fried tortilla strips and top with 1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
This recipe is a cross between a panada, or bread soup, and a classic Venetian dish called sopa coada. Panada takes its name from pane, which means “bread,” because bread is a central ingredient in the soup. Some versions call for soaking the bread in liquid, then whisking the crumbs into the stock for a thick purée. Others bake the bread in layers with the stock for a thickened, cakey soup you carve out with a spoon. Sopa coada, a dialect name, comes from the Italian verb covare, which means “to brood,” “to hatch,” or “to smolder.” More like a poultry bread pudding than a soup, it is rich and filling, so it is ideal for a solo supper. Traditionally, layers of sautéed country bread are topped with boned, braised pigeon (squab), aromatic vegetables, and grated Parmesan cheese, then covered with a rich pigeon stock and baked for many hours. The aromatic dish emerges golden, the stock fully absorbed, the bread soft and pudding-like. While I love squab, I usually make this soup with chicken, especially with my habit of making roast chicken with guaranteed leftovers. You can make this soup even richer and more filling by adding mushrooms or butternut squash.
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, cut into small dice
1 celery stalk, cut into small dice
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (5 to 8 ounces total weight), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces or 1 generous cup cubed (1 inch) cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cooked sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/2 cup diced cooked butternut squash (optional)
2 slices country-style bread, 1/2 inch thick, crusts removed, or 1 thick slice bread
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano, or part Fontina and part Parmigiano Reggiano
In a wide saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. When the mixture is bubbling, add the diced vegetables and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. If using raw chicken, add it now and sauté, turning occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it evaporates. Then add the chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste, and the cinnamon and cover the pan. Simmer gently, until the chicken is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. If using cooked chicken, mushrooms, and squash, add during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bread and sauté, turning once, until pale gold on both sides. (Or toast it and spread lightly with the butter while warm.)
You now have two options. The first is fast and easy: Cut the bread into croutons and place them in a big soup bowl. Pour the hot chicken and vegetable soup over the croutons and then top with the cheese. You may brown it under the broiler, first making sure the bowl is flameproof.
If you are not in a hurry and want to replicate the coada style, option two is the better choice: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place a slice of the bread in a deep ovenproof bowl, such as a potpie dish or onion-soup crock. Sprinkle some of the cheese on top, and then the chicken and vegetables. Top with the other slice of bread. (It can be assembled up to this point 8 hours ahead of time and refrigerated until you are ready to bake it.) Ladle the stock over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Put the bowl on a baking sheet, as it may bubble over, and bake for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the depth of the soup. The bread on the bottom should be custardy, and the bread on the top should be chewy. If you want a crusty top, do not cover with foil. For added crunch, slip it under the broiler to brown.
Comfort Food
When you have a bad day, certain foods can help ease the pain. For many people, fancy food isn’t the cure. It seems too self-conscious and requires too much thinking and attention. On the other hand, comfort food requires no thought or effort to eat it. That’s why it works. Comfort food promotes well-being and peace of mind. It is generally a familiar food, often with happy memories attached to it. It might be a pint of peach ice cream or a fudgy brownie. For me it’s usually a big soup; a bowl of risotto, farro, or soft polenta with cheese; a grilled cheese sandwich; or softly scrambled eggs with toast—all dishes to eat with a spoon or fingers, curled up on the couch, with book in hand. Time heals. Food comforts.
One very cold January, I was traveling in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The wind whipped through the streets of the towns, chilling me to the bone. This legume and farro soup was my salvation on many a day. The best version was served at a small family-run restaurant high on a mountain-top at Rocca di Calascio. The chef-owner, whose four children were doing homework in the dining room when I arrived, used four kinds of legumes—lentils, white beans, black-eyed peas, and red beans—along with farro and chopped pancetta. While this may sound complicated, it was simplicity itself compared to the traditional ancestor of this regional soup, the famous le virtù, which combines seven beans, seven vegetables, and seven cuts of meat, mostly from the pig, then farro or small pasta. One story says that the soup symbolizes the virtues and thriftiness of the local women who have never let anything go to waste in the kitchen. Another story says it was a test to see which virtuous woman would devote herself to such a complex dish requiring so many steps.
When I cook for friends and family, I usually make a large batch of this soup with an assortment of beans, but when I am cooking it just for me, I simplify the recipe, using only lentils, as they do not require soaking. In the winter, I love to cook up a batch of chestnuts to serve as a side dish or to use in pilafs and soups. (You can also buy them already cooked and vacuum-packed.) They add a rich sweetness that enlivens the starchy lentils. While you can cook the farro directly in the soup, I cook it separately, as I am fanatic about texture. For information on farro, see page 77. You can double this recipe and have enough for another night. A bit more stock might be needed when you reheat.
1/4 cup farro
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons diced pancetta
1/2 onion, diced
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 small celery stalk, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, sage, or marjoram
Salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
1/3 cup green lentils, French or Italian, picked over and rinsed
1/2 bay leaf
2 cups water or meat or poultry stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
5 to 6 cooked chestnuts, coarsely crumbled into chunks (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Extra-virgin olive oil for serving
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Cook the farro in a generous amount of salted boiling water. When the grains are soft but still have some firmness in the center, after about 20 minutes, drain and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and thyme and cook, stirring, until tender, about 8 minutes, adding salt to taste and the cinnamon, if using. (The cinnamon will play up the sweetness of the onion, pancetta, and chestnuts.) Add the lentils, bay leaf, water, and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.
Add the chestnuts, if using, and the cooked farro and simmer for 10 minutes to heat through and blend the flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a warmed soup bowl and garnish with the chopped parsley, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and the grated cheese.
Variation: Farro is also a specialty of the Garfagnana region, above Lucca in Tuscany, where thinly sliced dark kale, or cavolo nero, as well as a few diced tomatoes, is added to the basic bean soup. Sometimes a piece of prosciutto is added along with the beans for a more meaty flavor. If you cannot find farro at your market, you may substitute spelt or wheat berries, both of which will take twice as long to cook. Cooked chickpeas or white beans can be added to the soup in place of some of the lentils.
From the Italian verb guazzare, which means “to splash about,” this stewlike bean soup, swimming with seafood, is often called a guazzetto. Spanish cooks make a similar soup, sometimes substituting chickpeas for the white beans, while Portuguese cooks make the related feijoada branca. In other words, this is a classic Mediterranean combination.
I like to play with the garnishes. If I’m feeling nostalgic for Spain, I add a picada of toasted almonds and garlic. Another night I might add a spoonful of Portuguese molho di pimentão (page 21). Or I could stay in Italian mode by adding a dollop of pesto (page 33). I could even add cooked chopped greens to extend the soup and make a more filling meal. What I like about the guazzetto is the contrast of the bland creaminess of the beans alongside the sweetness of the mussels or the saltiness of clams, the slight acidity of the tomatoes, and the bitterness of the greens. Sometimes I am extravagant and add shrimp or lobster. Chunks of a firm, meaty fish such as cod or halibut could be used as well. If the soup isn’t filling enough, serve with grilled bread. If you tend to plan ahead, make a double batch of white beans to have on hand for another soup or salad.
1/3 cup dried white beans
1/2 onion, plus 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, peeled but left whole, plus 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 pound mussels or clams, well scrubbed and mussels debearded, or 6 ounces shrimp or lobster meat
1/4 cup dry white wine
A large handful of spinach, chard, or escarole, cut into fine strips
Pick over the dried beans and remove any stones or debris. Rinse well, put in a saucepan, and cover with 2 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the beans and return them to the saucepan with fresh water to cover by about 2 inches. Add the 1/2 onion, the whole garlic clove, and the bay leaf and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the salt, cover, and simmer until beans are tender but not falling apart, about 40 minutes. Remove and discard the onion, garlic, and bay and set the beans aside with their liquid.
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes, if using, and cook for a minute longer. Add the tomatoes and the white beans and their liquid and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large sauté pan, combine the mussels and the wine. Bring to a boil, cover, and steam until the shellfish open. Transfer the shellfish to a bowl, discarding any that fail to open. Strain the pan juices through a cheesecloth-lined sieve held over a bowl and add to the beans. Remove the meat from the shells and discard the shells.
Reheat the beans, then add the greens and let them wilt. Then add the mussels. If using shrimp or lobster, add now and heat through. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Thin with water if needed. Garnish as suggested in the introduction.
Variation: You can add 1/2 cup cooked short pasta to this soup during the last few minutes of cooking for a seafood pasta e fagioli.
This soup can be as opulent as you like. Instead of seafood, you can use cooked chicken, a combination of chicken and shrimp, or just vegetables. Snow peas, mung bean sprouts, mushrooms, and spinach are all at your disposal for a more filling or less filling meal. The amount of stock you need is determined by how many noodles you add to the soup.
6 ounces shrimp in the shell or crabmeat
6 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles
1 clove garlic
1 shallot, cut up
2 green onions, cut up
1/2 stalk lemongrass, tender purple tinged part only, cut up
1 tablespoon peeled and thinly sliced fresh ginger
1/2 jalapeño chile, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups chicken, shrimp (see Note), or other complementary stock
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
4 mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced
4 to 6 snow peas, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts or 1 cup shredded spinach or watercress leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons finely slivered fresh basil
2 teaspoons finely slivered fresh mint
Peel and devein the shrimp. If they are large, cut them in half lengthwise or into bite-size pieces. If using crabmeat, pick over for any shell fragments.
Parboil the noodles in boiling salted water for a minute or two, then drain and set aside.
In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic, shallots, green onions, lemongrass, ginger, and chile and pulse until a paste forms.
In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the stock and lime zest and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the noodles, shrimp, mushrooms, snow peas, and sprouts and simmer until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes.
Season the soup with lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add the basil and mint and pour into a warmed soup bowl.
Note: If you have used shrimp, you can make a wonderful fragrant stock with the shrimp shells. Sauté the shells in a tablespoon or two of canola oil until they turn pink, then add the lemongrass trimmings, a couple of ginger slices, a small dried chile, and water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes, then strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve.
When I am in the mood to cook, I enjoy preparing meatballs as a mildly meditative activity. I usually make a double batch, use some for a pan sauté, and save some for a soup supper or maybe for pasta. Certainly the guazzetto of white beans with greens (page 47) would welcome meatballs instead of seafood. My favorite meatball soup, however, is Persian. It has a yogurt base bound with egg and flour and must not boil, or the yogurt will curdle. The turmeric tints the soup a lovely pale yellow, which is set off by the green of the mint and green onions and the brown of the meatballs. When pomegranates are in season, I sprinkle a few of the jewel-like red seeds on top.
1/4 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup dried green or black lentils
6 ounces ground beef
3 tablespoons grated yellow onion
1 egg, lightly beaten and then divided in 2 equal portions
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons basmati rice
2 to 3 cups chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped green onion, including tender green tops
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, very finely minced
Pomegranate seeds (optional)
Pick over the dried chickpeas and remove any stones or debris. Rinse well, put in a saucepan, and cover with 1 cup cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the beans and return them to the saucepan with cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender but not falling apart, 40 to 50 minutes. Drain and reserve.
Pick over the lentils and remove any stones or debris. Rinse well, put in a small saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until firm-tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and reserve.
In a bowl, combine the ground beef, grated onion, half of the egg, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Mix well with your hands. Fry a tiny patty of the mixture to see if it is seasoned to your taste. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary, then form the beef mixture into tiny meatballs about the size of a nickel, or smaller if you have the patience. Refrigerate.
To make the soup base, spoon the yogurt into a medium saucepan. Whisk in the remaining half egg, the flour, turmeric, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Add the rice, reserved lentils and 2 cups of the stock. Place over low heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add the reserved chickpeas, parsley, green onion, and most of the chopped mint. Simmer for 10 minutes more, then add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Add the remaining stock if needed.
In a small sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté until soft but not colored, about 2 minutes. Add to the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour into a warmed soup bowl and sprinkle with remaining mint and the pomegranate seeds, if using.
Note: You can double the meat mixture and cook the remaining half of the seasoned meat mixture as a panfried burger, top it with yogurt seasoned with garlic, and serve it in a pita bread. Or you can form the rest of the meat mixture into meatballs, sauté them in butter or oil until browned, simmer them in tomato sauce, and then serve over rice with a drizzle of garlicky yogurt.
Potato soup is bland and comforting and can be a home base for endless variations and garnishes. The potatoes may be cooked with a head of garlic, or the pulp from a head of roasted garlic can be whisked into the finished soup. A swirl of tapenade or pesto and chunks of fish will take it in one direction. Croutons with melted Cheddar cheese or goat cheese add extra richness. Simply put, this soup is a blank slate awaiting an artist’s signature. Select from among the variations before you begin making the soup.
11/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
11/2 cups peeled, diced russet potatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream, milk, or chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the potatoes, onion, and a little of the stock to a blender. Purée until smooth. Return the purée to the pan holding the remaining liquid and reheat gently. The soup will be thick. Thin it with the cream, season with the salt and pepper, then pour into a warmed soup bowl.
Variations: Purée the hot soup with 1 cup chopped watercress or 1/2 cup chopped sorrel. The heat of the soup will set the color of the sorrel so that it remains green, rather than turn a sad gray-brown. But you have to eat it right away because reheating will dull the color.
Add some cooked fish when you reheat the puréed soup and then finish with a dollop of Pesto (page 33).
Add 1/2 cup chopped arugula and a little diced prosciutto when you reheat the puréed soup. Garnish with diced tomatoes and some chopped fresh basil or marjoram or a spoonful of Pesto (page 33).
Top with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and a few fennel sprigs; with crumbled fresh goat cheese, chopped walnuts, and chopped fresh basil; with croutons topped with grated Cheddar cheese; or with croutons topped with crumbled fresh goat cheese and thyme.
Garnish with chopped fresh mint, cooked green beans, and strips of sun-dried tomatoes.
Garnish with a nice spoonful of caviar, a dollop of sour cream, and minced fresh chives.
A World of Chicken Soup
As a bona fide Jewish mother, I firmly believe that nothing is more comforting than a bowl of chicken soup. However, I’m enough of a realist to know that not everyone will take the time to make chicken stock, even though it’s easy to prepare. Because I believe in a well-stocked pantry, I always have some in the freezer. But for ease, low-sodium canned broth can be reduced and enriched to taste pretty good.
How you embellish chicken soup usually depends on what you may have in the refrigerator or pantry. Rice or noodles bring body to the soup. If I have time I might even make matzo balls. Of course, vegetables and pieces of chicken are great additions, too. Then there is the matter of flavor accent. Ginger and lemongrass for an Asian taste? Egg and lemon or crumbled feta for a Greek flavor palate? Grated Parmesan and eggs for a Roman stracciatella? I can travel the world on chicken soup.
In restaurants, the elements of a dish are often prepared separately, then combined at the last minute. I found that this technique was one of the best ways to increase my control over the quality of the end product served to our guests. Home cooking is different. There are fewer distractions and not too many orders coming in at once, just your own. You can cook the vegetables directly in the soup, and sometimes the noodles, too, and usually not risk overcooking. But for greater control and foolproof results, it’s best to cook all of the components separately, reducing the margin for error. Aesthetics also come into play. Do you like the look of chicken in strips and carrots in strips, or do you like the carrots and chicken to be in uniform dice? Make a choice and be consistent. Just remember that smaller pieces cook very quickly; don’t let them get too soft, as they will be reheated later in the soup.
