cup jasmine riceSoup is the ultimate comfort food. It evokes childhood memories of steaming bowls meant to soothe and heal. As adults, we continue to nourish our bodies and spirits with soup. Thick, thin, simple, complex—soup is an emotionally and gastronomically satisfying experience.
Soup making is one of the more contemplative culinary tasks. It requires the use of all the senses in making subtle judgments about balancing flavors and textures. Since ingredients do vary—an April onion is not like a September onion—we are called on to adjust the sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes until we have a potion that satisfies the taste buds, nourishes the body, and comforts the spirit.
Think of the recipes in this chapter as guidelines, as jumping-off points for your own resourcefulness and creativity. The following section explains some of the techniques involved in soup making.
Selecting a stock: Stocks provide a nuanced backdrop for the featured ingredients in soup, so the stock you use for a soup must complement the soup’s main components. For instance, a roasted vegetable stock would overpower the delicacy of spring peas, and a light green stock would be lost in a spicy sweet potato soup. Soups that don’t require stock usually require more vegetables in the soup itself.
Preparing mirepoix: The heart and soul of many soups and sauces, mirepoix (pronounced mere pwah) is a combination of carrots, onions, and celery, all finely diced and sautéed in oil, perhaps with a few herbs added. If you don’t know what kind of soup you want to make, just begin by cutting some mirepoix and generally an inspiration will hit before you are done.
Puréeing soup: Process soup in a food processor in batches until it is smooth. In some cases it’s best to first strain the stock from the solids, purée the solids by pulsing until they are coarsely chopped, and then add some of the stock back to the mixture until the desired texture is reached.
For chunky soups, strain the stock from the solids, use a potato masher to reduce the solids to pulp, and then combine the stock and solids.
Immersion blenders also work well for puréeing soup. However, take care when blending soups with fibrous vegetables, such as Chilled Spring Pea Soup with Tarragon (page 91), to make sure the blades are not bound by fibers wrapped around the armature.
Making creamy soups with no cream: There are many ways to thicken soup. Most of them not only improve the texture of a soup but also add some nutritional kick. Mashed potatoes and puréed white beans both give you a creamy consistency. Barley is an excellent thickener. Rice can also be overcooked then mashed or puréed and added to soup, though the consistency can be a bit grainy. Roux, that classic mixture of fat and flour, will work for soups whose acidity isn’t too high, such as Corn Chowder (page 81). Browning the flour in the fat gives a rich, deep flavor to the soup. The rule of thumb for roux is 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of flour to 1 cup of stock, soymilk, or water. This quantity will be sufficient to thicken a soup, although it will take some time. If you are in a hurry, use 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of oil to 1 cup of stock, soymilk, or water.
Puréed tofu can also be added to soups to give a creamy richness and a protein and calcium boost.
Cutting vegetables: If a soup is going to be puréed, cutting the vegetables into small pieces will speed up the cooking and make puréeing easier. For chunky soups, keep in mind the size of the bowls and spoons that you will be using. It can be awkward to encounter something in your soup bowl that is larger than your soup spoon. If you are using flat, wide soup bowls, small vegetables sink to the bottom and their visual effect is lost. Larger chunks of vegetables rise from the soup like an iceberg, promising more underneath. A variety of shapes and textures improves the soup-eating experience through heightened visual appeal.
Flavoring with miso, bouillon powder, and Spike: If you are not able to make stock, these provide a reasonable substitute. All of these are salty and most of them contain some form of nutritional yeast. Try to find the “no salt added” kind. (Besides, you can always add salt, which is much cheaper than these packaged powders.) Bouillon powder and Spike also contain dehydrated vegetables. Some bouillon powders may contain animal fat or MSG, so as always, read the labels carefully.
Miso is your best bet for a fast soup stock. The darker the miso, the saltier it is—and with as much as 630 milligrams of sodium in 1 tablespoon, it is salty. (Use a lighter miso if you are concerned with your salt intake.) Despite the salt, miso provides good amounts of protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Depending on the soup, use anywhere from 1 tablespoon to ¼ cup of miso per quart of water. See pages 20–21 for more information on miso.
If you don’t care to use any of the above, try using tomato juice or the water from cooking vegetables or beans, or just doubling the amount of mirepoix in the soup.
STOCKS
Restaurants use the ends, scraps, and peelings of vegetables for stock. It would be wasteful to throw them away. The various combinations of vegetable trimmings that are used give the stocks different characters. Where will you get these myriad vegetable scraps? From your freezer! Keep a large, airtight plastic bag or container in your freezer and add vegetable scraps as they accumulate. Zucchini trimmings, the woody ends of asparagus or lemongrass, carrot ends, basil stems, fennel stalks, mushroom stems, celery hearts, and cucumber ends can all find new life as soup stock.
If you are buying organic produce, then the peelings of carrots, cucumbers, and potatoes may be used also. There are a few things you may not want to use: onion skins will turn the stock a dark brown color; seeds and pith (the white part) from peppers will turn bitter in stock, as will tomato seeds; the waxy coating of rutabagas and turnips is unpleasant; cabbage and broccoli can overpower the stock if allowed to boil for too long.
Use your judgment. If you would never want to see that many carrots on your plate, don’t put them in your stock. The combination of vegetables should be one you like.
Leaving the stock unsalted allows you to use it for many different recipes. It can be used as a base for miso soup; reduced, flavored, and thickened for a sauce; or used to cook lentils or split peas.
If you are making the stock for a specific recipe, add a small amount of the herbs in the soup recipe to the stock. Don’t overdo it, though. The long simmering time of the stock will give the flavors plenty of time to develop.
Patience is essential for successful stocks. Do not rush the process. Most of the recipes here take at least an hour to simmer. If the broth tastes weak, let it simmer longer. Your perseverance will be amply rewarded by richer, fuller flavors.
Vegetable Stock
3 medium onions, peeled and cut into quarters
8 whole cloves (optional; do not substitute ground cloves)
10 cloves garlic, smashed
4 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces,
or the heart of 1 bunch celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 carrots, cut into halves lengthwise, then into 2-inch pieces
2 to 4 cups reserved vegetable trimmings
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
4 black peppercorns
Stick the cloves into the onions. Place all ingredients in a large soup pot with 5 quarts of cold water. Put the pot on the stove on high heat. When the water is just about to boil, turn the heat to medium. Partially cover the pot and simmer the stock for about an hour or until all the vegetables are falling-apart soft. Taste the broth. If it seems weak, simmer for another 30 minutes or so.
To make a thin stock, strain the stock through a colander or large-holed strainer. Press on the vegetables to extract all the liquid.
To preserve some of the vegetable fibers and thicken the stock, before straining it, purée with an immersion blender. Strain the stock through a colander or strainer to catch the stringy, inedible fibers.
If you want a more intense flavor, return the stock to the pot and reduce it to half its original volume. Do this over low heat to preserve the delicate flavors.
Makes about 1 gallon.
Roasted Vegetable Stock
Vegetables that lend themselves to roasting are eggplant, fennel, onions, tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes. Asparagus ends, broccoli trimmings, and mushrooms work well also. Try to cut the vegetables into pieces that will cook at the same rate. Onions and carrots will need to be a bit smaller than zucchini. Potatoes and broccoli stems need to be cut so they roast in about the same time as a clove of garlic. Generally, the harder a vegetable is, the smaller the chunk for purposes of roasting.
Roasting the vegetables at a low temperature (275°) prevents charring and develops the sweetness of the vegetables more intensely. For a thick stock, roast white potatoes or sweet potatoes with the vegetables.
This stock is particularly good for puréeing and using later to make sauces. (See Vegan Demi-glace, page 143.)
3 medium onions, peeled and cut into eighths
10 whole cloves garlic
4 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 carrots, cut into halves lengthwise, then into 2-inch pieces
4 cups reserved vegetable trimmings, or 1 zucchini, 1 eggplant, and 2 tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons oil
2 bay leaves
4 black peppercorns
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, toss the vegetables with the oil. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer, if possible, on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Roast for 20 minutes. Stir the vegetables and rotate the pans. Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes or until they are tender to the touch. It is not necessary that they be cooked all the way through.
Discard any charred or blackened vegetables. Transfer the vegetables to a soup pot and add 5 quarts of water, the bay leaves, and the peppercorns. Turn the heat to high. When the water is just about to boil, turn the heat to medium. Partially cover the pot and simmer the stock for about 1 hour or until all the vegetables are falling-apart soft.
To make a thin stock, strain the stock through a colander or large-holed strainer, discarding the bay leaves. Press on the vegetables to extract all the liquid.
To preserve some of the vegetable fibers and thicken the stock, before straining it, purée the stock with an immersion blender. Strain the stock through a colander or strainer to catch the stringy, inedible fibers.
If you want a more intense flavor, return the stock to the pot and reduce it to half its original volume. Do this over low heat to preserve the delicate flavors.
Makes about 1 gallon.
Green Vegetable Stock
This stock is ideal for soups featuring the first vegetables of spring, such as asparagus and peas. It’s also good as a base for miso soup. Use the trimmings from romaine lettuce (don’t freeze these), the ends of asparagus, basil stems, green beans that are past their prime, broccoli stems, bok choy trimmings (no head cabbage, though, please), and the like to flavor this delicate broth.
1 gallon reserved trimmings from green vegetables or
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into 2-inch squares
4 green onions, cut into 4-inch lengths
½ bunch parsley
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
Cover the vegetables and bay leaves with cold water in a soup pot. Turn the heat to high. When the water is just about to boil, turn the heat to medium. Simmer the stock, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the stock stand for 25 minutes.
Strain the stock through a colander or large-holed strainer. Gently press on the vegetables to extract all the broth. (Do not purée this stock.) Discard the solids.
Makes about 1 gallon.
Mushroom Stock
When saving mushroom stems, remove all the dirt from the stem before placing it in the freezer. You may want to save mushroom stems separately so you can accumulate enough for this hearty stock. The darker the mushrooms, the deeper the flavor of the stock.
2 teaspoons oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 cups reserved mushroom stems or 3 cups sliced shiitake, portobello, cremini, or button mushrooms
4 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces, or the heart of 1 bunch celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups reserved vegetable trimmings (optional)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
½ ounce dried mushrooms (optional)
2 bay leaves
Heat the oil in a wide skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, then the garlic and mushroom stems or mushrooms. Cook without stirring for 1 minute or until the onions develop a golden brown color. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and are dry, about 15 to 25 minutes.
Put the mushroom mixture into a soup pot along with the remaining ingredients and 8 cups of water. Place the soup pot over high heat. When the water is just about to boil, turn the heat to medium. Partially cover the pot and simmer the stock for about 1 hour. Taste the broth. If it seems weak, simmer for another 30 minutes or so.
Strain the stock through a colander or large-holed strainer. Press on the vegetables to extract all the broth. (Do not purée this stock if using mushroom stems.) Discard the solids.
Makes about 1½ quarts.
Asian Broth
There is nothing mysterious about Asian broth. Our lack of experience with certain ingredients makes them seem intimidating, but with a little practice you can achieve marvelous results. Add or subtract ingredients depending on the cuisine. If you are planning to make a Thai-style soup, add the tough, woody tops of lemongrass and the roots and stems of cilantro. For a Chinese soup, add some star anise. For a spicy broth, add some extra chilies or Szechuan peppercorns.
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
6 cloves garlic
5 green onions
3¼-inch slices of fresh ginger
1 carrot, sliced lengthwise
1 small chili, fresh or dried
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
Cover the dried mushrooms with 1½ cups of boiling water. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the water and cut into ¼-inch strips. Strain the soaking liquid into a medium pot. Add the remaining ingredients and 3 cups of cold water. Place the pot over medium heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the broth is fragrant. For a richer flavor, allow the broth to sit off-heat for an additional hour before straining. Strain the broth.
Makes 1 quart.
Japanese Seaweed Broth
(Kombu Dashi)
The simplest dashi (broth) involves kombu seaweed soaked overnight in water, but for our purposes, a slightly more elaborate recipe is given. Seaweed is a good source of iodine, which may be a concern for some people on vegan diets. For an earthy-tasting broth, add 1 or 2 dried shiitake mushrooms per cup of water. The kombu that is soaked for the broth can be saved, cut into strips, and stir-fried with tofu or vegetables, or added back into a soup at the end of cooking.
1 4-inch piece kombu seaweed or dulse
2¼-inch slices fresh ginger
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry (optional)
1 tablespoon mirin or 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
Gently wipe the kombu with a dry paper towel to remove dirt. (Do not rinse with water or you will lose much of the flavor.) Soak the kombu in 4 cups of cold water in a pot for 8 hours or more. Remove the kombu and reserve for another use. The stock can be used at this point to make a light miso soup.
Alternatively, soak the kombu in 4 cups of cold water for 1 to 2 hours. Heat on medium-low. Just before the water boils, remove the kombu. Reserve the kombu for another use.
Add the ginger, soy sauce, sake or sherry, and sugar (but not mirin) to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the mirin. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings.
Makes about 4 cups.
HOT SOUPS
Microwave Miso Soup for One
I am a lazy cook at home. Often I don’t even want to dirty a pot. This version of miso soup allows me the comforts of hot soup with very little fuss. In the winter I add extra garlic and ginger for their warming properties and to ward off colds and sniffles. You can also add just about any leftover steamed vegetable, scraps of leafy greens, or small bits of seaweed. (I often add leftover Edamame with Hijiki and Brown Rice, page 249.)
1 tablespoon light miso
1¼ cups water or Japanese Seaweed Broth (page 68)
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 1-inch square dulse, wakame, or other seaweed (optional)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 shiitake mushroom, thinly sliced
2 ounces tofu, diced (optional)
Put the miso in the bottom of a large soup cup (not a shallow soup bowl). Slowly add the water or light stock and mix well so there are no lumps of miso. Add the garlic, ginger, and seaweed. Heat on high in the microwave until fairly warm but not hot, about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the soup ingredients. Heat for an additional minute or until it is quite hot but not boiling. Remove the cup from the microwave and cover with a small plate. Allow the flavors to blend for 3 or 4 minutes.
Makes 1 serving.
Miso Soup
This is a slightly more involved version, but all miso soups are very fast to make. They are traditionally eaten for breakfast in Japan and provide a good protein and calcium boost to start the day.
Dark miso is saltier than light miso, so adjust the flavoring with soy sauce as necessary. Generally, I like light miso in spring and dark miso in winter.
4 cups water or Japanese Seaweed Broth (page 68)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
½ cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake or button mushrooms
1 3-inch piece of wakame, dulse, or other seaweed (optional)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced seasonal vegetables (asparagus, green beans, watercress, dandelion greens)
4 tablespoons miso
8 to 10 ounces tofu, cut into small cubes
Combine the water or light stock, garlic, onion, ginger, carrots, mushrooms, and seaweed in a soup pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the carrots are barely tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the green onions and seasonal vegetables. Simmer for 5 more minutes or until those vegetables are crisp-tender. In a small bowl, slowly add 1 cup of the soup broth to the miso and whisk until there are no lumps left. Add the miso and tofu to the soup. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the soup steep for 3 to 4 minutes. (If you own covered soup bowls, you can ladle the soup into the bowls and cover them.)
Makes 4 entrée servings or 8 appetizer servings.
Hot and Sour Soup with Glass Noodles
This is a decidedly easy version of a classic dish from northern China. The glass noodles add the same textural element that eggs normally do, and tofu replaces the usual pork.
5 dried wood ear mushrooms
1 teaspoon peanut or canola oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
10 shiitake mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch strips
4 cups Asian Broth (page 68)
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 teaspoons mushroom soy sauce
1 ounce glass noodles (mung bean threads)
2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
8 ounces tofu, cubed
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
Cover the dried mushrooms with 1½ cups boiling water. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the water and cut into ¼-inch strips. Strain the soaking liquid and reserve.
Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot. Sauté the ginger, garlic, and shiitakes together for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock and the reserved soaking liquid. Bring the broth to a boil. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, glass noodles, and reserved mushrooms. Bring the broth to a boil again. When the broth just begins to boil, reduce the heat to low. Allow the soup to simmer over low heat for 3 minutes or just until the glass noodles are done.
Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Slowly pour this into the soup, stirring constantly. Cook for 3 minutes longer or until the soup is slightly thickened. Add the tofu, sesame oil, pepper and green onions. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Makes 6 servings.
Thai Vegan Tom Yum Gong
This is a refined and refreshing soup. Make sure your stock is redolent of ginger and lemongrass. While lime leaves and tamarind soup base can be hard to find, they are worth the effort. No doubt, when you do discover a market that sells them, you’ll find innumerable other treasures there also. Tofu substitutes for the traditional shrimp.
1 stalk lemongrass or 2 teaspoons sliced, dried lemongrass
6 cups Asian Broth (page 68)
½ package Knorr tamarind soup base
4 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or frozen, or 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
½ cup quartered button mushrooms
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Thai chili paste
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
8 ounces tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 green onions, cut on the diagonal into ¼-inch slices
2 green Thai chilies, very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 ounce fresh enoki or straw mushrooms
Whole cilantro leaves
If using fresh lemongrass, trim the end. Cut slices from the root end, ¼ inch thick, on a sharp diagonal. Stop cutting when the stalk seems woody or when the thin reddish band is no longer visible. Remove the woody center from the slices. If you can’t bear to throw away the rest of the lemongrass, cut the top of the stalk into 3-inch lengths and crush them with the side of your knife. In a soup pot, bring the broth and the tamarind soup base to a boil with the lemongrass slices and stalk pieces and the lime leaves. Add the button mushrooms and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the lemongrass stalk pieces. Add the lime juice, chili paste, and soy sauce to the broth. Adjust the seasonings.
Just before serving, add the tofu, green onions, chilies, and chopped cilantro. Let the flavors blend for 3 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with enoki and whole cilantro leaves.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
Hearty whole-grain bread is an especially good accompaniment to this soup.
2 teaspoons cumin seed or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon oil
3 medium onions, cut into a medium dice
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, or 2 teaspoons garlic purée
½ bunch celery, cut into a medium dice
2 medium carrots, cut into a medium dice
1½ teaspoons ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (optional)
8 cups water or Roasted Vegetable Stock (page 66)
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes
1 small dried chipotle or ½ canned chipotle, drained
¼ cup fresh lemon or lime juice
Salt and pepper
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
Fresh cilantro leaves, whole or coarsely chopped
If you are using cumin seeds, toast them gently in a soup pot over medium heat just until they begin to brown. Add the oil and raise the heat to medium-high. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Cook without stirring until the vegetables brown slightly. (This will take some patience and restraint.) When the vegetables have begun to brown, add the chili powder, ginger, and ground cumin, if not using seeds. Cook this mixture until a heady aroma rises from the pot and vegetables are fairly soft.
Add the stock and the sweet potatoes. Cook until the sweet potatoes are very soft, just about falling apart, about 40 minutes. Taste the soup and add chipotles accordingly. Remember that the heat of the chipotle will continue to develop over the next day or so, so if you are heat-averse, be conservative at this point.
Purée the soup and return it to the pot. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. If the soup is too spicy, a bit of sugar will tone it down a little. If the soup is too mild, a little more chipotle will add some kick.
Toast the pumpkin seeds either in a sauté pan over low heat on top of the stove or in a medium oven, until they begin to pop and plump up.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Onion Soup
This soup may satisfy those who are nostalgic for French onion soup. Feel free to top the soup with a large crouton and some vegan cheese.
1 tablespoon oil
3 yellow onions, cut into halves and sliced ¼ to ½ inch thick
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, or 2 teaspoons minced garlic
¼ teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
4 cups Mushroom Stock (page 67)
1½ teaspoons Spike or similar seasoning, or 1 tablespoon dark miso
Sea salt and pepper
In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the onions, garlic, and dried thyme. Cook without stirring until the onions develop some color, 1 to 2 minutes, and then stir. Cook, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes, until onions are a deep brown color. The aroma should be pleasant. (If any of the onions blacken and smell burned, discard all the onions and oil and start again, as the resulting soup will taste burned.) When most of the onions have taken on a rich brown color, add the stock, fresh thyme, and Spike. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)
This soup is ubiquitous in Portugal. Every café on every street corner sells its own version of caldo verde, the national soup. Traditionally, chorizo, or spicy sausage, is added in small quantities as a flavoring agent, but the soup does not suffer from its omission.
This potato soup is thinner than you might expect, giving the greens a chance to costar with the potatoes.
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 Idaho potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 pound kale, chard, or collards, washed and trimmed
In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and sauté, stirring constantly, for 3 more minutes. Add 2 quarts of cold water and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the pot. Simmer the soup for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are falling apart. Purée the soup. Season with salt and white pepper. Return the soup to medium heat and warm. Stack the kale leaves, roll them into a thick “cigar,” and cut the cigar into slices to yield neat shreds. Add the shredded greens and simmer for 5 minutes or until the greens are bright green and tender.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Harvest Vegetable Soup
This soup showcases the flavors of those fabulous root vegetables we wouldn’t eat as children. Modify the mixture of vegetables based on what looks good in the market. No oil or stock is used, giving this soup a clean, straightforward flavor. For a more intense flavor, roast the vegetables in the oven until they are about half cooked and then proceed as the recipe directs.
Peeling root vegetables and winter squash can be difficult. Make sure your peeler or knife is sharp so it won’t jump off the vegetables. This soup is puréed, so don’t waste a lot of energy cutting your vegetables really small. It does help to cut the vegetables into roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
Because this soup takes some time to cook, you can use its appealing aroma to motivate you while you do household chores.
1 very large rutabaga, peeled and diced
4 parsnips, peeled and diced
2 medium turnips, peeled and diced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bunch celery, diced
3 medium onions, diced, or 2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced
Sea salt
Place all ingredients in a large soup pot. Add enough cold water to cover the vegetables by 4 inches. Turn the heat to medium-high. Allow the mixture to just barely come to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a medium simmer. If you cook this soup at too high a temperature, it will darken. Cook until the vegetables are quite soft. This may take some time, so patience is required. Add water to the pot as necessary.
Purée the soup. Adjust the thickness with water. Season with sea salt. (Pepper is not recommended for this soup as it may muddy the flavors of the vegetables.)
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Chunky Polish Borscht
Fermented beet juice, or kvas, adds a distinctive taste to most borscht. For those desiring a really authentic flavor, the recipe follows. The rest of us can use a mixture of white vinegar and lemon juice.
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
4 medium beets, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2½ cups shredded green cabbage
4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or ½ cup Kvas (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 cup cooked white beans (Great Northern or cannellini)
Vegan sour cream (optional)
In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots for 4 minutes or just until they begin to soften. Add the cubed potatoes and beets and cook for 10 minutes longer, taking care that the vegetables do not brown.
Add 6 cups of water. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the green onions, vinegar, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
To serve, place 1½ to 2 tablespoons of white beans in the bottom of each soup bowl and ladle the borscht over them. Garnish with vegan sour cream, if desired.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Kvas (Fermented Beet Juice)
3 medium beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Place the beets in a sieve and wash them under cold water. Put the beets into a crock or ceramic container. Add enough warm water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Cover the container with its lid, or seal it with aluminum foil, and set aside at room temperature for 5 to 7 days, until the liquid ferments and tastes sour.
Strain the mixture through a sieve lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth and set over a large bowl. Discard the beets and refrigerate the kvas, tightly sealed, until you are ready to use it as a flavoring agent.
Makes 1 cup.
Potato Soup: Four Variations
Potatoes provide us with a ready palette for many different flavor variations. Chef’s potatoes, those irregular, round potatoes sold in netted bags, are an inexpensive choice for soup. If you want to splurge, try Yukon Gold, with their waxy yellow flesh, in the Potato and Roasted Garlic Soup variation. Idaho russets, with their creamy white flesh, work well in the Potato and Leek Soup. Save your fingerling and red skin potatoes for salads and roasting.
Basic Potato Soup
For this soup, I prefer to mash the potatoes before puréeing them. This prevents the potatoes from becoming gummy and adds complexity to the soup’s texture.
2 tablespoons oil, or vegan margarine
2 medium onions, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
3 to 4 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1- to 1½-inch cubes
1½ teaspoons sea salt
1 quart full-bodied soymilk
In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the margarine or heat the oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent. Do not brown the onions. Add the potatoes, salt, and enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are quite soft. Drain the vegetables, reserving the liquid, and mash them, adding the soymilk and the reserved cooking water. Purée the vegetables. Add more water or soymilk as desired. Return the soup to the stove and warm before serving.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Potato and Roasted Garlic Soup: Add 1 head of Roasted Garlic (page 223) to Basic Potato Soup.
Potato and Watercress Soup: Prepare Basic Potato Soup without garlic. When it is ready to be rewarmed, add 1 bunch of chopped watercress. Allow the soup to warm with the watercress for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Alternately, purée the watercress with the potatoes.
Potato and Leek Soup: Replace 1 onion with 1 large or 2 medium leeks, white parts only. Wash the leeks well, cut into halves lengthwise, and cut into ¼-inch slices. Sauté the leeks with the garlic and onion and proceed as the recipe directs.
Grilled Eggplant and
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
This soup has a hearty, surprisingly “meaty” texture, especially when the eggplants are grilled over mesquite chips or charcoal. The eggplants, peppers, and onions may be grilled a day in advance—perhaps late on a summer evening when you just don’t want to leave the grill and go back inside.
2 large or 4 small eggplants
Salt
Seasoned oil
2 large red bell peppers
Oil
2 large onions, cut into ½- to ¾-inch slices
1 small onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, diced
1½ teaspoons dried basil, or ¼ cup shredded fresh basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
6 cups Roasted Vegetable Stock (page 66)
1 24-ounce can diced tomatoes or 1½ cups diced fresh tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut the eggplants into 1-inch-thick slices. Liberally salt each side and lay the slices in a colander. Allow the eggplants to drain for half an hour. When the eggplants have released a fair amount of liquid, rinse each slice under cold water and pat dry.
Brush the eggplant slices sparingly with the seasoned oil. On an outdoor grill over medium heat or on a grill pan on the stovetop, grill the eggplant until it is about half cooked, about 3 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on your cooking method. Reserve the grilled eggplant in a baking dish or bowl deep enough for the juices to collect.
Rub the red peppers with oil and grill them, turning occasionally, until the skins begin to blister. When most of the skin has blistered, place the peppers in a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate to steam the peppers.
Brush the onion slices with seasoned oil and grill until about half cooked, 3 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on your cooking method.
When cool enough to handle, cut the eggplant and onion slices into 1-inch chunks. Reserve them along with any juices that may have accumulated.
Remove the black skin, seeds, and pith from the peppers. Chop the peppers coarsely and reserve.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and sauté the diced onion, garlic, celery, and any dried herbs. Sauté this mixture until the onion begins to color and is soft. Add the stock. When the stock is hot, add the tomatoes, grilled vegetables, and any liquid that may have accumulated.
Cook until heated through. Add fresh herbs, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Vegetable Soup with Lemon and Dill
This is a versatile soup that can accommodate most green vegetable scraps you may have hanging around in your refrigerator. Asparagus, escarole, and artichokes would all do nicely, as would cauliflower, fennel, and even mushrooms.
Because warm lemon zest can become bitter on standing, the yield of this soup is smaller so it can be consumed in one day.
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium leek, white part only, washed, cut into halves lengthwise, and cut into ¼-inch semicircles
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, diced
3 stalks celery, plus the heart, diced
4 cups Green Vegetable Stock (page 67)
cup jasmine rice
1 teaspoon salt
teaspoon white pepper (optional)
2 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch semicircles
½ pound green beans, cut on the diagonal into ½-inch pieces
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, garlic, carrot, and celery and sauté just until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring the soup to a boil. Add the rice, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, just until the rice is al dente. (To test for this, cut a rice grain into halves. It should have a little white dot in the middle.) Add the salt and pepper.
Raise the heat to medium. Add the zucchini, green beans, and any other vegetable you are using. Cook for 4 or 5 minutes, just until the vegetables are tender. Add the lemon zest, juice, and dill and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Four Mushroom and Barley Soup
It takes some time and patience to develop all the rich flavors of the mushrooms in this soup, but the result is well worth the effort. Use half the barley if you are not planning on eating the soup right away, because barley has a tendency to swell.
8 ounces button mushrooms
2 large portobello mushrooms
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms
4 ounces cremini, hedgehog, oyster, or other exotic mushrooms
1 tablespoon oil
3 medium onions, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt
8 cups warm Mushroom Stock (page 67)
1 cup pearl barley
¼ teaspoon black pepper (optional)
If the stems on the button mushrooms are tough, remove them. Cut the mushrooms into bite-size pieces. Remove the stems from the portobellos. Trim any dirt from the stems and reserve the stems for stock. Cut the caps into halves and cut into -inch pieces. Remove the woody stems from the shiitakes and reserve for stock. Cut the caps into ¼-inch pieces. Prepare the exotic mushrooms, removing any woody stems and dirt, then cutting the caps into bite-size pieces. Reserve.
In a large soup pot, heat the oil over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the onions, garlic, celery, and dried thyme. Cook without stirring until the onions develop some color, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook, stirring every 1 or 2 minutes, until half of the onions are brown, about 6 minutes. Watch them carefully—if they are blackening and smell like they are burning, remove them from the heat.
Add the salt and mushrooms to the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook the mixture, stirring, until the mushrooms release all their liquid, about 25 minutes. This part takes some patience and restraint. Cook the mixture until most of the mushroom liquid has evaporated and the mixture is almost dry. This ensures a deep mushroom flavor.
Add the stock, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring the soup to a boil. Add the barley. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the barley is tender. Add the pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Corn Chowder
This colorful soup highlights the bounty of late summer, when corn is plentiful, peppers are fully ripe, the potato harvest is beginning, and the nights have begun to have a little chill to them.
Fresh corn is ideal in this recipe because you can use the cobs for stock. Try using leftover grilled corn on the cob for an added flavor note. Cooking the potatoes separately ensures even doneness.
8 small red skin potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup vegan margarine or oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 stalks celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
teaspoon cayenne
teaspoon dark chili powder
3 tablespoons flour
8 cups warm Vegetable Stock (page 65)
1 tablespoon oil
1 large red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch squares
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into ½-inch squares
2 medium green bell peppers, cut into ½-inch squares
4 cups corn kernels
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Diced tomatoes (optional)
Whole cilantro leaves (optional)
Cover the potatoes with water in a small pot. Add the salt. Bring the water to a boil. Boil for three minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the pot from the heat, drain the hot water, and rinse the potatoes with cold water until they are cool. Reserve.
In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the margarine or heat the oil. Add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and spices. Sauté until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Add the flour, stirring vigorously so no lumps develop. Cook the flour for 2 minutes to eliminate the raw taste. Remove the pot from the heat. Slowly add 1 cup of the warm vegetable stock. Stir until the stock is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Add 1 more cup of the stock and mix well. Add the remaining stock and mix well. When the mixture is smooth, return the pot to medium heat. Stir occasionally as the soup comes to a boil, making sure there is no scorching on the bottom of the pot. When the soup just begins to boil, lower the heat and cook for another 15 minutes or until the soup thickens.
While the soup is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and sauté until they are tender. Add the corn, peppers, potatoes, salt, pepper, and chopped cilantro to the soup. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Garnish with diced fresh tomatoes and cilantro leaves, if desired.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Jary (Algerian Vegetable Soup)
This soup gets its body from bulgur, the major ingredient in tabbouleh (for more on bulgur, see page 170). The use of fresh green herbs is characteristic of soups from several Middle Eastern cuisines. This soup is traditionally eaten at sunset to break the day’s fast during Ramadan. You may omit the puréeing step for a much chunkier soup.
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch cayenne
¼ cup tomato purée
4 cups Vegetable Stock (page 65)
¼ cup fine bulgur
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup chopped fresh mint
½ cup cooked chickpeas
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt
In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil and sauté the onion, celery, garlic, paprika, and cayenne until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato purée and stock. Bring to a simmer and then stir in the bulgur. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bulgur is tender.
Purée the soup. Add the herbs and purée again. Stir in the chickpeas and reheat the soup. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste.
Makes 4 servings.
Black Bean Soup
Cooking the carrots and peppers separately from the beans retains their vibrant colors and gives the soup a festive confetti look. Chili powder and cayenne may be added to give this soup some heat, but leaving them out allows the robust flavor of the black beans to shine through. Fresh cilantro leaves and diced tomatoes make a lovely garnish.
2 cups black beans
1½ tablespoons whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 medium red onion, diced
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, diced or cut into 
-inch-thick semicircles
2 tablespoons oil
1 large green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch squares
1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch squares
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into ½-inch squares
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons juice from pickled jalapeños (optional)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons salt
Diced fresh tomatoes (optional)
Whole cilantro leaves (optional)
Wash the beans in a large colander, checking thoroughly for small stones. Use the quick- or long-soaking method (page 163) to shorten the cooking time. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, toast the cumin seeds until they become slightly brown and release their fragrance. Add the beans, garlic, onion, and bay leaf to the pot along with 6 cups of water. Do not salt the water. Raise the heat to high and bring the beans to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer the beans until soft. The time may vary, but it should take from 30 to 45 minutes.
In a separate pan over medium-high heat, sauté the carrots in the oil for 2 minutes. Add the peppers and sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the vegetables to the soup, along with the lemon juice, spices, and salt. Remove and discard bay leaf. Let the soup simmer over low heat for 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Garnish with diced tomatoes and cilantro leaves, if desired.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Making this soup from scratch with dried beans gives it a clean flavor that canned beans simply can’t match.
1½ cups dried white beans (Great Northern or cannellini)
2 tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, cut into ¼-inch slices
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh sage
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Fresh sage leaves
Wash the beans in a large colander, checking very carefully for stones. Use the quick- or long-soaking method (page 163) to shorten the cooking time. Place the beans in a 6-quart pot and cover with 6 cups of cold water. Bring the beans to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the beans until they are soft, about 40 minutes. Skim any foam that develops. Add more water as necessary. The cooked beans should be covered by 2 to 4 inches of cooking liquid. Reserve the beans and the cooking liquid.
In a large soup pot, heat the oil over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the onions and garlic. Cook without stirring until the onions develop some color, about 1 or 2 minutes, and then stir them. Cook, stirring every 1 or 2 minutes, until the onions turn a deep brown color. If the onions are blackening and smell like they are burning, reduce the heat to medium-high and watch closely.
When the onions are nicely caramelized, add the beans and their cooking liquid. If the beans are not quite soft, cook the soup over medium heat until they are. Purée the soup. Adjust the thickness with water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the sage and olive oil. Let the soup stand for 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with sage leaves.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Tomato, Fennel,
and White Bean Soup
1 cup dried white beans or 1 16-ounce can white beans (Great Northern or cannellini)
1 large fennel bulb
2 tablespoons oil
3 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, or 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
6 cups Vegetable Stock (page 65), or 3 cups tomato juice and 3 cups water
2 cups diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
Salt and pepper
If using dried beans, wash them in a colander, checking thoroughly for small stones. Place the beans in a 2-quart saucepan along with 1 quart of cold water. Cook the beans on medium-high heat for about 1 hour or until they are tender. If using canned beans, rinse them well in a colander and reserve.
To prepare the fennel, cut off the bottom and the long stalks, reserving the stalks for stock and the feathery leaves for garnish, if desired. Cut the bulb into halves. Remove the core by cutting toward the middle of the bulb on either side of the core. Pop out a triangular piece of core. Trim away any core you may have missed. Cut the fennel into ¼-inch slices. Cut the flat slices from each end into strips.
In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and fennel seeds and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the fennel, celery, basil, and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes longer. Raise the heat to high and add the vegetable stock. Bring the soup to a boil and turn it off. Add the diced tomatoes and reserved beans. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Reheat the soup if necessary. Garnish with whole or chopped fennel leaves.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons medium curry powder or garam masala
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
2½ cups yellow split peas
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon oil
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 Granny Smith or other tart apples, diced
Whole cilantro leaves (optional)
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, ginger, and spices until the vegetables begin to soften and the spices give up their fragrance, about 10 minutes. Add the split peas and 2 quarts of water to the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until split peas are falling apart, 15 to 25 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper.
In a small pan over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon of oil and sauté the bell pepper until crisp-tender. Add half the diced apples and cook for 1 minute. Add the sautéed peppers and apples to the soup and stir gently.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining apples and, if desired, cilantro leaves.
Makes 8 servings.
Lentil and Spinach Soup
I prefer to make this soup with water instead of stock so the flavor of the lentils really comes through.
1 tablespoon oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 stalks celery, plus hearts, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1½ teaspoons dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 large bay leaf
2 cups brown lentils, washed
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 cups spinach leaves, washed and chopped coarsely
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and dried herbs until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the lentils and 2 quarts of water to the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are done.
Add the salt, pepper, and spinach and mix well. Remove and discard bay leaf. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Escarole and White Bean Soup
¾ cup dried white beans or 1½ cups canned white beans (Great Northern or cannellini)
1 tablespoon oil
2 medium onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, plus hearts, diced
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 medium bay leaves
6 cups Vegetable Stock (page 65)
1 24-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound escarole, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped
½ cup chopped fresh basil (optional)
Wash the dried beans in a large colander, checking very carefully for stones. Use the quick- or long-soaking method (page 163) to shorten the cooking time. Place the beans in a 2-quart pot and cover with 4 cups cold water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the beans are soft, about 40 minutes, skimming any foam that develops. The cooked beans should be covered by a scant inch of cooking liquid when done. Add more water as necessary. Reserve the beans and the cooking liquid.
If using canned beans, rinse well in a colander and reserve.
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onions, garlic, celery, and dried herbs until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the stock to the pot, raise the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil.
Add the beans and their cooking liquid, tomatoes and their juice, salt, and pepper and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Warm the soup over medium heat. Remove and discard bay leaves.
Just before serving, add the escarole and cook for 4 minutes or until the escarole is tender. Add the fresh basil.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
CHILLED SOUPS
Two Melon Soup with Plum Wine
This soup is extremely easy to make. If you’d like to simplify the recipe even further, use just one type of melon. The sea salt brings out the sweetness of the melons, and the pepper provides a nice piquant counterpoint along with the dried ginger. Make this soup the night before you plan to serve it to allow the flavors to develop completely.
The soup shows to best advantage in shallow soup bowls with wide rims. Consider using a thin slice of sweet carambola (star fruit) or strawberry as a garnish. For a dramatic presentation, reserve one slice of each melon, slice the melon with a mandoline into long ribbons, and interweave the ribbons on top of the soup bowls.
1 ripe honeydew or 4 cups honeydew cubes
1 ripe cantaloupe or 4 cups cantaloupe cubes
½ teaspoon dried ginger (preferably Jamaican)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 cup Japanese plum wine
2 pinches sea salt
2 pinches white pepper
Peel, seed, and chop each melon into pieces small enough for a food processor or blender. Purée each melon separately and reserve in medium bowls. Into each bowl whisk ¼ teaspoon of dried ginger, 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, and ½ cup of plum wine. Season each with small pinches of sea salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Cover each bowl and refrigerate for 8 hours or more.
To serve, put a ladle in each container of soup. Hold a soup bowl at a 30-degree angle to the table. Ladle a half portion of one soup (about 4 to 6 ounces) into the bowl. Carefully begin to ladle a half portion of the other soup into the bowl. As the soup bowl fills with the second soup, begin to lower the bowl back to the table.
To present the soup, you can create designs by dragging a toothpick, spoon, or knife from one side of the bowl to the other. If you are feeling really adventurous, try gently spinning the bowl. (Practice with empty bowls before attempting to do this with full bowls of soup.) Assuming there is some soup left in the bowl after this, you will have created a yin-yang swirl.
Makes 8 servings.
Blueberry and Red Wine Soup
2 cups blueberries, preferably fresh
1 whole cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
Pinch sea salt
1½ cups red wine, preferably a California Zinfandel
¼ cup sugar
1½ cups vegan sour cream or 12 ounces tofu, puréed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Heat the blueberries, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and red wine to a boil in a 6-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the soup until most of the blueberries have burst. Remove from the heat. Remove the cinnamon and cloves. Add the sugar and mix well. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Purée about half of the blueberry mixture.
Stir in the sour cream or tofu. Refrigerate until chilled thoroughly. Adjust the seasonings. If the soup seems too tart, add sugar. If the soup seems cloying, add lemon juice. Garnish with fresh whole blueberries.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Strawberry Soup with Almond Milk
Packaged almond milk can be substituted, but the resulting soup won’t be as thick and luxurious. You can also substitute a tablespoon or two of Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or framboise for the rosewater.
1 cup blanched almonds, coarsely ground
¼ cup sugar
1 pint ripe, full-flavored strawberries
4 ounces silken tofu
2 teaspoons rosewater Pinch sea salt
Soak the almonds for 8 to 12 hours in 3 cups of water.
Strain and rinse the nuts. In a blender, whirl the almonds, 4 cups of hot water, and sugar together for 3 minutes. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth, squeezing the cloth to get all of the liquid. You should have 4 cups of almond milk.
Hull the strawberries and purée them with the tofu. Mix the strawberry purée and the almond milk together. Add the rosewater and sea salt. Taste and adjust the flavorings.
(If the strawberries aren’t at their ripest, a little more sweetener may be needed.) Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Korean Seaweed Soup
½ ounce wakame seaweed
4 cups Vegetable Stock (page 65) or Asian Broth (page 68)
1 Japanese cucumber or small seedless cucumber
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds
1 small fresh red chili, thinly sliced, or teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
In a small bowl, pour very hot water over the wakame until it is covered by 2 inches. Put a lid on the bowl and let the wakame stand for 20 minutes. Lift the wakame out of the bowl, being careful to leave any grit in the bottom of the bowl. Squeeze as much water as you can out of it and chop coarsely.
In a small soup pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the wakame and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer the wakame until tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Toward the end of the wakame ‘s cooking time, cut the cucumber into halves lengthwise and cut the lengths into ¼-inch slices. Toss with the remaining ingredients. Let the cucumbers marinate just until they begin to soften, about 15 minutes.
Add the cucumbers and marinade to the seaweed soup. Adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate the soup to chill thoroughly.
Makes 4 servings.
Avocado Soup
I prefer Hass avocados, the ones with the alligator-like skins, for their consistent flavor. Smooth-skinned Florida avocados are less dependable. Either variety works well.
8 ripe Hass avocados or 5 large Florida avocados
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 small onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper
1 tomato, seeded and diced
Whole cilantro leaves (optional)
Peel and seed the avocados. In a 3-quart bowl, mash the avocados. Stir in the lemon juice, garlic, onion, jalapeño, chopped cilantro, and basil. Whisk in cold water until the desired consistency is reached, about 3 cups. Season with salt and pepper.
Just before serving, toss the tomato with half the lemon zest. Season the tomato mixture with salt and pepper. Add the remaining zest to the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the diced tomato mixture and, if desired, whole cilantro leaves.
Makes 8 servings.
Chilled Spring Pea Soup
with Tarragon
6 cups Green Vegetable Stock (page 67)
2 fresh bay leaves (optional)
4 cups sugar snap peas, coarsely chopped, or 4 cups English peas, fresh or frozen
2 green onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 shallot, minced
4 ounces vegan cream cheese or 4 ounces silken tofu
1 cup coarsely chopped spinach leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Fresh whole tarragon leaves
Heat the stock and bay leaves to just barely boiling in a 6-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the peas, green onions, celery, and shallot. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes for English peas and 20 minutes for sugar snap peas. Crumble the cream cheese into the soup. Add the spinach, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Purée the soup. Strain the soup through a sieve to remove the tough fibers. Remove soup to a nonmetal container. Cover and chill thoroughly, preferably for 8 hours or more. Adjust the seasonings. Serve the soup garnished with fresh whole tarragon leaves.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Gazpacho: Two Variations
I offer two variations on this classic Spanish dish. The first is a quick food processor version that will leave you plenty of time to enjoy it outdoors on a summer day.
Quick Gazpacho
3 medium cucumbers
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 small red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
¼ cup finely diced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 cups fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced, or 1 22-ounce can diced plum tomatoes
1 26-ounce can tomato juice
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
Peel the cucumbers and remove the seeds. Cut the cucumbers into ½- to 1-inch cubes. If you are using canned tomatoes, drain them and reserve their juice. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber cubes with the celery, peppers, parsley, onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Pulse this mixture in small batches in a food processor until it is coarsely chopped. Put the chopped vegetables into a large bowl. Add the tomato juice and Tabasco sauce and mix well. Adjust the thickness with additional tomato juice or water. Season with salt and pepper.
Makes 8 servings.
Yellow Tomato Gazpacho
This recipe works well with any variety of yellow tomato, but I like it best with Lemon Boy. The skin of Lemon Boys can be a bit tough so it is important to remove them. Seeds left in the soup from either the tomatoes or the peppers can give it a bitter edge.
3 pounds yellow tomatoes (about 3 to 4 Yellow Wonder or 6 to 8 Lemon Boy)
1 small red bell pepper
1 small green bell pepper
1½ seedless cucumbers or 3 regular cucumbers
3 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
½ cup white balsamic vinegar
cup fresh lime juice
cup extra virgin olive oil
cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup roasted red peppers (fresh or canned)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
To skin the tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove, cut a small X on the bottom of each tomato, and gently drop the tomatoes into the boiling water. Leave the tomatoes in the water for about 45 seconds (longer if they have a tough skin), and then remove to a bowl of ice water. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, the skin will peel off easily.
Cut the tomatoes into halves and squeeze gently to remove all the seeds. Coarsely chop two-thirds of the tomatoes and purée them in a food processor until very smooth. Cut the remaining tomatoes into ½-inch cubes.
Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut them into very small pieces. Cut the cucumbers into chunks and purée in a food processor until smooth. (Peel the cucumbers if the skin seems tough.) Cut the remaining cucumbers into ½-inch chunks.
Combine the tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, cucumbers, green onions, garlic, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, Tabasco, cumin, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding sugar if necessary.
Combine the red peppers, basil, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Blend in small batches in a blender (not a food processor) until smooth. Reserve.
To serve, ladle the soup into chilled bowls. Drizzle the roasted red pepper mix over the top with the abandon of Jackson Pollack.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Chilled Beet and Cucumber Soup
2 pounds beets, trimmed
2 pounds cucumbers (about 3 seedless or 4 medium salad cucumbers)
2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
3 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Vegan sour cream (optional)
Sprigs of fresh dill
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the beets. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the beets are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Run cold water over the beets until they are cool enough to handle. Peel the beets and cut into 1-inch chunks.
Peel and seed the cucumbers. Cut them into 1-inch chunks.
In a large pan over medium heat, heat oil and sauté the green onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the cucumbers and cook until they are wilted, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of water (not the beet water) to the pan and simmer the cucumbers until they are tender.
Purée the beets with the beet water. Purée the cucumber mixture. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber and beet mixtures. Add the lemon juice, chopped dill, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate the soup until it is thoroughly chilled. Garnish with a dollop of vegan sour cream and sprigs of fresh dill.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.