There are many recipes that require a good stock. Nowadays you can buy beef, chicken, and vegetable stocks at just about any supermarket. Some seem too salty for my taste, others too bland. If you don’t mind doctoring the stock to your taste, and if you really don’t have time to make fresh stock and freeze it for future use, then by all means, make life easier for yourself and buy ready-made stock. However, if there are a couple of rainy spring days strung together with winter’s chill still nipping at the windows, making a large pot of your own stock would be just the thing to warm the kitchen and fill it with the most delicious and comforting aromas. Once you’ve made it, used it, and tasted the difference between fresh and store-bought, I believe you’ll be encouraged to make fresh stock more often. Really.
We all know that a good chicken stock is the heart of a truly satisfying soup and adds richness to many fine dishes and sauces. To vary the flavor, add a few pieces of fresh ginger to the stock while it cooks and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce at the end of its cooking time.
3 pounds chicken backs and necks
1 very large onion, skin left on, quartered
1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, leaves left on, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place all the ingredients in a large stockpot. Cover by at least 5 inches with cold water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot loosely and simmer over low heat for 3 hours. Ladle the stock through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard the solids. The stock is now ready to use.
Yields about 3 quarts
The stock, in an airtight container, is good refrigerated for up to 3 days and up to 3 months in the freezer. Freeze the stock in 2-cup and 1-quart containers, since those are the amounts usually called for in most recipes. Freeze stock in ice cube trays for even smaller portions to use in sauces and gravies.
Soup has no season, and is really easy to prepare. Once you have a good stock to work with, the rest is all about personal taste and the creative spirit. Start by sautéing some chopped onions in olive oil, sauté some cut-up vegetables of your choice, add your delicious homemade stock and a splash of Herb-Infused Oil (page 3), let it simmer for about 20 minutes—and there it is. Season it and dress it up with whatever complements the soup: crème fraîche, chopped parsley or dill or mint, minced mushrooms, croutons, or a fresh strawberry. Chilled or heated, this is an almost foolproof design for preparing soup. In the bloom of summer, the colorful soups that pass across your table will excite the eye and tease the palate. Another plus is that soups can be prepared up to three days ahead and kept refrigerated until you’re ready to serve them.
Following are three more recipes: one is for the very useful and versatile Crème Fraîche that we use with both savory and sweet recipes and following that, two recipes for the universally adored Crouton, always an asset with soups or salads.
Heat 2 cups heavy cream until very hot but not boiling. Stir in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand at room temperature until its texture becomes very thick. This usually takes 24 hours. Covered and refrigerated it lasts 3 weeks.
Yields 2 cups
Cube white bread (with crusts) and lay the pieces on a baking sheet. Toast in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 minutes. Use immediately or cool and store in airtight containers.
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 loaf French bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes, with crusts
Mash the salt and garlic into a paste. Stir in the olive oil. Place the bread cubes in a bowl and drizzle with the oil mixture. Toss to blend well. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and toast in preheated 400°F oven for 10 minutes, or until the croutons turn golden brown. Cool and store in an airtight container.
A traditional Schleswig-Holstein summer soup, served on festive occasions such as weddings and every year at summer solstice gatherings. Since berries are such a good and delicious source of vitamins, they play an important role in all Scandinavian regions where fresh fruits and vegetables have a very short growing season.
4 cups small, sweet fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
4 cups fresh blueberries, washed and picked over
1 cup sugar
31/2 cups water
1 lemon, sliced in 8 wedges
2 short cinnamon sticks
1 cup sour cream or yogurt, not low-fat, plus extra for garnish
Extra berries, for garnish
Place the berries, sugar, water, lemon, and cinnamon sticks in a large heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Chill for 4 hours, or overnight.
When ready, discard the lemon and cinnamon sticks. Using a blender, purée the soup in batches. Pour into a large bowl and, with a wire whisk, blend in the sour cream. Chill several hours, until ready to serve.
Serve cold, garnished with sour cream and fresh berries.
Yields 21/2 quarts, 6 to 8 servings
We use large, juicy, very ripe beefsteak tomatoes to make our soup. With crusty bread and an assortment of soft and semi-soft cheeses, this soup makes a very nice unfussy lunch. We also serve it as a delightfully cooling first course.
3 pounds ripe large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
11/2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped seedless cucumber, skin left on
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup coarsely chopped white bread (crusts left on)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
About 4 slices white bread, crusts left on, cubed
1 cup finely chopped seedless cucumber, skin left on
Purée the tomatoes, onions, cucumber, peppers, garlic, bread, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, hot sauce, and cumin in a blender until smooth. You may need to do this in 3 or 4 batches. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and stir in the olive oil. The soup should be covered and chilled for at least 2 hours or overnight.
To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the cubed bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls and serve cold with the two garnishes on the side.
Yields 2 quarts, 8 servings as a first course
This is the ultimate summer soup, combining the freshest herbs, regal asparagus, a hint of garlic, and a pinch of pungent and colorful saffron.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon saffron
2 cups peeled and coarsely chopped baking potatoes
5 cups Chicken Stock (page 28)
2 tablespoons finely chopped curly parsley, plus extra for garnish
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
11/2 pounds green asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup heavy cream
Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and saffron and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are softened.
Add the potatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the parsley, tarragon, salt, pepper, and asparagus and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in the cream and set the soup aside for 1 hour to cool.
Pour the soup into a blender and purée until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in several batches.
To serve this soup cold, chill it covered for at least 2 hours or overnight. If you reheat it, do not let it boil.
Serve hot or cold, garnished with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Yields 6 to 8 servings
Hot or cold, this is a real palate pleaser.
2 cups chopped sweet onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups peeled and chopped carrots (about 2 pounds)
5 cups Chicken Stock (page 28)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt (omit if using store-bought stock)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon finely chopped curly parsley
In a large heavy soup pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil over low heat for 5 minutes, until the onions appear glossy. Add the carrots, chicken stock, water, and ginger and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the salt if using, pepper, lime juice, half-and-half, and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Cool to room temperature.
Purée the soup in a blender or food processor. To serve the soup cold, cover and chill it for 2 hours or overnight. If you reheat the soup, do not allow it to boil. Serve hot or cold, garnished with chopped parsley.
Yields 6 mugs or 8 cups
Creamy, sweet, with lots of that great fresh corn taste.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
3 cups chopped onions
2 tablespoons raw rice
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
5 cups Chicken Stock (page 28)
4 cups freshly cut corn kernels (about 6 medium ears of corn)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Crème Fraîche (page 30), for garnish
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft and glossy. Do not let them brown. Add the rice and garlic and sauté a minute longer. Add the stock and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Add the corn, salt, and pepper. Simmer another 5 minutes. Add the cream and lime juice and stir well. Set it aside to cool.
Using a blender or food processor, purée the soup in batches, then force it through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl. To serve the soup cold, chill it covered for at least 2 hours or overnight. If you reheat it, do not let it boil. Serve hot or cold. Garnish each serving with a dab of crème fraîche and a pinch of chopped chives.
Yields 6 servings
This soup has a very satisfying taste, especially when you can use freshly picked peas. Their sweetness mixes so well with the peppery taste of watercress. We like topping it off with a dollop of Crème Fraîche (page 30) or sour cream and sprigs of bright green watercress.
2 tablespoons canola oil
21/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups peeled and chopped baking potatoes
6 cups Chicken Stock (page 28)
1 cup riesling or other medium-dry white wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
21/2 cups shelled peas (about 21/2 pounds in the pod)
1 bunch fresh bright green watercress, rinsed (6 sprigs saved for garnish)
3 ice cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream
Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot. Add the onions and sauté over low heat for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, wine, salt, cayenne, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Add the peas and cook, uncovered, for 1 minute only. Add the watercress, stems and all, and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and add the ice cubes to stop the cooking process and to keep the soup a bright green.
Using a food processor, purée the soup in 2 or 3 batches. Return the soup to the pot, add the cream, and stir well. To serve the soup cold, chill it covered for 5 hours or overnight. To serve hot, reheat the soup gently over medium-low heat (do not let it boil).
Serve hot or cold, garnished with watercress sprigs.
Yields 6 servings
If using frozen peas, look for “individually quick frozen” packages of petit pois or English peas.
The combination of wild and cultivated mushrooms creates an intense and richly flavored soup. With crusty bread and a small salad it is a perfect lunch treat, or serve it in small bowls as a first course on a cool summer night.
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
4 bunches scallions, trimmed, washed, and chopped (white and green parts)
21/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
4 ounces fresh morels, cleaned
6 cups Chicken Stock (page 28)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the oil and butter in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the scallions and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour until it is absorbed. Add the mushrooms and chicken stock. Stir once. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add the cream and parsley. Purée in batches in a food processor until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently; do not let it boil. Serve hot.
Yields 7 cups, 4 servings in bowls or 6 mugs
Garnish with a bit of Crème Fraîche (page 30) and julienne scallion greens or a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of flat-leaf parsley.
If fresh morels are not available, use 2 ounces dried morels. Soak them in 1 cup hot water for 10 minutes before adding them to the soup. Strain the soaking water and add it to the soup.
It is strange to think that at one time lobsters were thought of as poor people’s food. This creamy variation of the Puritans’ idea of thrifty cooking is now considered something of a luxury. We serve this deliciously gratifying treat on those cool nights in June when the fog rolls in and blankets all of Long Island.
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
2 cups peeled and finely chopped onions
3 cups peeled and chopped Yukon Gold potatoes in 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups clam juice
4 cups half-and-half
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kernels cut from 4 ears of fresh corn (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 ounces cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Melt the butter in a large heavy soup pot over low heat, and sauté the onions until they are transparent. Add the potatoes, clam juice, half-and-half, bay leaf, and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the corn and simmer 5 minutes. Add the cream and lobster and simmer until very hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Yields 6 servings
You can substitute shrimp or any firm lean white fish, such as angler fish, cod, or halibut for the lobster meat. They all hold up well and are delicious.
Our selection of take-out foods changes weekly and includes five different soups that vary with the seasons. This chicken soup is always on the list. Our customers are comforted to know that we always have this restorative soup-cure forever at the ready, for whatever ails them.
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
11/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped fennel
2 cups peeled and chopped Yukon Gold potatoes, in 1/2-inch pieces
21/2 quarts Chicken Stock (page 28)
3 cups cooked chicken meat
1 cup shelled peas (1 pound in the pod)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons minced curly parsley
Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, celery, fennel, and potatoes and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Do not let the mixture brown. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let the soup simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and peas. Simmer for 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.