Sometimes I like to sip consommé from the cup while I inhale its rich fragrance; sometimes I like a main-dish soup, as much solid as liquid, like Leon Lianides’s grand tripe soup, with chunks of tongue and chewy bits of tripe to be spooned up from the long-simmered, velvety broth. Sometimes the palate needs comfort or stimulus; for a gentle restorative I turn to the clam soup I had when I was sometimes sick, or if it’s high summer, or if the house seems stuffy in winter, a tart, bright-tasting cold soup makes a lively refresher.
My aim here is to stimulate your imagination and your sense of adventure, and to provide a few happy surprises. I urge you to try ginger with pumpkin, caviar vichyssoise, tomato soup with just a tickle of sage, and my unusual lentil soup freshened with chard and spiked with lemon. And I hope you’ll experiment with some of my suggestions. One is for herb and vegetable combinations; some may sound eccentric, like fennel seed with Jerusalem artichokes, but don’t quit before you try! The other is for using vegetable purées, a luxury which the processor now makes easily available, as thickeners.
Speaking of techniques, soup making doesn’t require many, and all are illustrated in the recipes I chose. Chowders you’ll find in the fish chapter, and I’ve devised a master recipe for cream soups that can vary according to the vegetables in season. I hope you’ll make up variants, too. For instance, use different thickeners: add puréed vegetables, for a more delicate density than flour gives; or try nuts, powdered in the blender or processor, or even crumbs, in the old French style; or stir in a luscious, classic finish of eggs and cream; or give the liquid a slightly gelatinous body, using an oxtail stock.
Not only can soup be made imaginatively by the cook, it can and should be used imaginatively in menu planning. Reasonably enough, this chapter begins with beginners, soups to precede a main course; but the main course soups, which follow, are a wonderful resource. Like most soups, they are generally very little work, and can usually be prepared well in advance. If you’re short of time, you could precede them with a simple choice of crudités or follow them with a bit of fruit. Or, if you like making elaborate desserts, why not offer a choice of two or three? I always like good homemade buttered toast or a crisp roll with any soup, and I notice that soup is a very frequent choice of good bread bakers.
Vegetable broth
Essence de poisson
seafood soup
Fresh tomato soup
purée
with orange juice
Lady Curzon soup
Boula-boula
My clam soup that cures
Oxtail consommé
Oxtail gratin
Oxtail and vegetable soup
Borsch
Mustard green soup
Squash and corn soup
puréed squash and corn soup
Sorrel soup
with crème fraîche
with yogurt
Basic cream vegetable soup
artichoke soup
Cream of spinach soup
cream of watercress soup
Vichyssoise
caviar
apple
watercress
carrot
turnip
Cold minted pea soup
Cold beet soup
Watercress soup, Chinese style
Ginger-pumpkin soup
cream of squash soup
Cold minted yogurt soup
Lentil soup
with frankfurters
with cream
with ham
split-pea soup
Lentil soup with chard and lemon
with cotechino
Garbure basquaise
garbure gratiné
garbure with pig’s knuckles
Marion Cunningham’s minestrone
with sausage
with chickpeas or kidney beans
with ham
Black bean soup
The Coach House tripe soup
Oyster bisque
clam bisque
Shrimp soup
curried scallop soup
chili scallop soup
Castilian mussel soup
The Palace mussel soup
billi bi
Marseilles fish soup
rouille
Cullen skink
Scotch vichyssoise
Gruyére soup
Cheddar soup
Cheddar-olive soup
Vegetable Broth
For certain vegetable soups, a delicately flavored vegetable broth is preferable to a strong, rich beef or oxtail stock. As vegetables contain their own natural sodium, season with salt after making the broth.
3 carrots, finely cut
3 cups finely cut celery
3 onions, finely chopped
½ pound mushrooms or mushroom stems, sliced
3 leeks, sliced
3 quarts water
1 bay leaf
Salt
Combine the carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, leeks, water, and a bay leaf in a pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 2½ hours. Strain the broth, discarding the vegetables, and season to taste with salt.
Essence de Poisson
A light, clear, refreshing soup that depends for its excellence on the flavor of the fish stock, vegetables, and herbs, concentrated by being left to infuse an hour before straining. A good palate stimulant before a heavy main course.
Makes 6 servings
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely cut scallions, or green onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ cup chopped fresh dill or 1½ teaspoons dried dill weed
½ cup chopped parsley
1 green sweet pepper, chopped
1 whole hot pepper
6 cups fish broth (see page 530)
Salt
½ teaspoon Tabasco
Pinch of saffron
GARNISH: Finely chopped parsley, sour cream (optional)
Heat the butter and oil in a deep saucepan. Add the onion, scallions, garlic, fresh or dried dill, parsley, green pepper, and whole hot pepper. Sauté until wilted and well blended. Add fish broth and season with salt to taste, Tabasco, and a healthy pinch of saffron. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, then allow to stand for 1 hour before straining through cheesecloth. Serve this clear soup with a garnish of finely chopped parsley and, if you wish, a dollop of sour cream in each cup.
Seafood Soup. Do not strain the soup. Add 1 cup white wine, 12 shelled clams, 12 shelled raw shrimp, and 12 bay scallops. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Serve in cups, dividing the shellfish evenly among the cups. Garnish with additional chopped parsley, if you wish.
Sage is a difficult herb I like to use in crazy places, such as this tomato soup. The baking soda, incidentally, is there to neutralize the acid-curdling action the fresh tomatoes would have on the heavy cream. Or you could use evaporated milk, which won’t curdle, instead of the cream.
Makes 4 servings
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 medium-large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ to ½ teaspoon dried sage
1 cup heavy cream
GARNISH: Sour cream, chopped parsley
Sauté the onion in the butter until soft and limp. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, baking soda, and sage. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until thickened and pastelike. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Taste for seasoning, and reheat. Serve hot, garnished with a spoonful of sour cream sprinkled with chopped parsley. Or refrigerate and serve chilled, with the same garnish.
Purée of Tomato Soup. Purée the tomato mixture and cream in a food processor for a smooth soup.
Tomato Soup with Orange Juice. Omit the sage and add ¼ to ½ teaspoon dried thyme and 3 tablespoons concentrated orange juice.
Lady Curzon Soup
There are differing stories about the origin of this soup. It is a great standard of the German cuisine, and you still see it on restaurant menus there, although we seldom see it here. Some say the soup was created by the American wife of Lord Curzon, a Viceroy of India, others that it was created in her honor. Whatever the truth of the matter, this is certainly a very elegant dinner-party soup with an unusual blend of flavors, delicate but rich and best served in small quantities.
Makes 6 servings
4 cups canned turtle soup, with turtle meat
2 egg yolks
⅓ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon (or more, to taste) of good curry powder
¼ cup Madeira, sherry, or cognac
6 tablespoons lightly whipped cream
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (optional)
Heat the soup to boiling. Beat the egg yolks with the cream and curry powder. Very gradually stir 1 cup of the hot soup into the egg mixture, then remove the soup from the heat and stir the egg mixture into it, with the Madeira, sherry, or cognac. Reheat gently, stirring, without letting the soup boil, until light and creamy (it won’t thicken). Pour into hot soup cups, and float a tablespoon of whipped cream on each one. If the cups are heatproof, put briefly under a hot broiler to glaze the cream—it should only take a second or two. Otherwise, just dust the cream with chopped parsley.
Boula-Boula
Rather similar to Lady Curzon Soup, this is an American invention, easy to make, and, again, an interesting soup for a dinner party. While you could use cooked fresh green peas for this, frozen peas do very well and are less expensive.
Makes 6 servings
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion or green onion
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eight-ounce packages frozen peas, thawed
½ cup water
3 cups canned turtle broth, strained (reserve and dice the meat)
¼ teaspoon Tabasco
Salt
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup dry sherry
6 tablespoons lightly salted whipped cream
Cook the onion in the butter until just soft. Add the peas, water, turtle broth, Tabasco, and salt to taste, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until peas are tender. Remove from heat. Purée the soup in a food mill, or in batches in the blender or food processor. Return to the pan and stir in the cream, reserved diced turtle meat, and sherry. Reheat. Pour the soup into heatproof soup cups or bowls and put a spoonful of whipped cream on top. Put under a hot broiler for a couple of seconds, just long enough to glaze the cream. Serve with crisp buttered crackers.
This soup of my childhood doesn’t just soothe the troubled tummy, it also serves as a fine way to awaken the appetite at the start of a meal. Milk is not as rich today as it was when I was young, so I now add a little heavy cream.
Makes 4 servings
3 cups milk
2 cups minced clams (razor clams, if possible)
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup heavy cream
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley
Heat the milk to the boiling point, being careful that it doesn’t burn. Add the minced clams, butter, cream, and salt and pepper to taste, and heat until the butter is melted and the clams just hot. Serve in warmed soup bowls, garnish with parsley, and have crisp soda crackers with the soup.
Oxtail Consommé
Delicious on its own as a clear soup, this richly flavored oxtail stock can also be used like beef stock whenever it is called for in a recipe or as a base for vegetable soups. You can remove the pieces of meat from the bones and add them to make a heartier soup for a late supper or Sunday lunch.
Makes about 3 quarts
3 oxtails, cut in sections
1 veal knuckle, cracked
4 quarts water
3 carrots, cut in strips
3 leeks, well cleaned
1 onion stuck with 2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 tablespoon salt
8 to 10 peppercorns
Beaten egg whites (optional)
Madeira
Arrange the oxtails on the rack of a broiling pan about 4 inches from the heat. Broil, turning the pieces once or twice, until they are well browned on all sides and crisp at the edges.
Remove oxtail pieces to an 8-quart pot and add the veal knuckle and water. Bring to a boil and boil rapidly for 5 minutes, removing the scum from the surface. Add the carrots, leeks, onion, bay leaf, rosemary, salt, and peppercorns. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Taste for seasoning. Strain the stock and cool overnight. Remove the fat. If you wish, clarify with beaten egg whites before serving. Serve in soup cups with 1 tablespoon Madeira added to each cup.
Oxtail Gratin
Oxtail consommé replaces the more customary beef stock in this version of onion soup.
Makes 6 servings
3 large Spanish onions or yellow globe onions
6 cups oxtail consommé (page 48)
¼ teaspoon nutmeg or mace
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Tabasco
¾ cup port
6 slices French bread, well toasted
1 cup shredded Gruyère or Parmesan cheese
Peel and coarsely chop the onions. Put in a 2½-quart saucepan with the consommé, nutmeg or mace, and garlic. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Ladle the soup into 6 ovenproof individual serving bowls and add a dash of Tabasco and 2 tablespoons port to each. Arrange on each serving 1 slice of well-toasted French bread and heap with some of the Gruyère cheese. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and heat in a 350° oven for about 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and formed a rich crust on top of the soup. Serve at once with additional grated Gruyère or Parmesan cheese.
Oxtail and Vegetable Soup
This is the kind of easy, basic vegetable soup you can vary according to season, or the vegetables you have on hand. I very often use leeks, celery, squash, lima beans, cabbage, corn, tomatoes, parsnips, or for a heartier soup mix in drained canned chickpeas or beans. A good vegetable soup can be a meal in itself.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
3 carrots, cut in small dice
2 turnips, cut in small dice
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 potatoes, cut in fine dice
¼ pound green beans, cut in small pieces
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 quarts oxtail consommé (page 48)
½ cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta) or pastina
Meat removed from oxtails
1 package frozen peas
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Borsch
There are many versions of borsch. This one makes an excellent one-dish meal for supper or a winter lunch, when served with some good black bread and butter, and followed by cheese and fruit. There should be a balance of sweet and sour, so adjust the lemon juice and sugar to taste. If possible, add cooked meat from the stock for a heartier soup.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
3 quarts beef stock (see page 530) or oxtail consommé (see page 48)
4 or 5 small raw beets, shredded
4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
½ cup lemon juice
2 or 3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups beef (from the stock) or oxtail (from the consommé), diced
Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot, add the beets and simmer 15 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables, and cook until the potatoes and cabbage are soft and sufficiently overcooked to give the soup body. Add the lemon juice and as much sugar as needed to augment the natural sweetness of the beets, adjusting the ratio to taste. Stir in the cooked beef and serve in large heated bowls or soup plates.
Mustard Green Soup
A hearty and distinctive vegetable soup with an unusual combination of flavors that might be the main dish for a supper.
Makes 8 servings
2 pounds mustard greens
Handful of sorrel (if available) or spinach
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
8 cups vegetable broth (see page 44)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 cup fine Chinese or Italian noodles or orzo
Blanch the mustard greens and sorrel in boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and chop very fine. Cook the garlic and onion in the vegetable broth until tender, add the chopped greens, soy sauce, and ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the noodles or orzo and cook until just tender. Correct the seasoning and serve the soup in hot bowls. The amount of pasta added is up to you—if you like a heavier soup, add more noodles or orzo.
Squash and Corn Soup
This interesting combination of squash and corn is typical of Latin America, but the touch of ginger makes it a little different.
Makes 6 servings
5 to 6 cups vegetable broth (see page 44)
1 or 2 small yellow crookneck or other summer squash, cut in ½-inch slices
1 leek, cut in ½-inch rounds
1 green pepper, cut in julienne strips
1 large garlic clove (or 2 small cloves), crushed
¼ teaspoon thyme
2 or 3 slices fresh ginger
1 ear of corn, split and cut into tiny slices
Salt
GARNISH: Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Put the vegetable broth, squash, leek, pepper, garlic, thyme, and fresh ginger into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Add the corn. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
Puréed Squash and Corn Soup. After cooking the vegetables, except corn, put them through the food mill or purée in a blender or food processor. Then add the pieces of corn to the soup. You can also serve this purée cold, combined with heavy or sour cream to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh dill and parsley.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
1 pound sorrel
6 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cups chicken broth (see page 529)
1 cup heavy cream
3 egg yolks
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Wash the sorrel well, remove the stems, and cut the leaves into thin strips. Heat the oil in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, add the sorrel, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until it is wilted. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes over moderate heat. Remove the pan from the stove and allow the soup to cool slightly. Purée the sorrel in a food processor or blender. Return to pan. Beat together the heavy cream and egg yolks and gradually stir this into the soup, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the pan to the stove and cook the soup over moderate heat until it thickens slightly—being sure not to let it boil. Serve hot or chill the soup and serve cold.
Sorrel Soup with Crème Fraîche. Add ½ cup crème fraîche (see page 548) to the soup after thickening with egg yolks and cream.
Sorrel-Yogurt Soup. Do not add cream and egg thickening. After chilling soup, stir in plain yogurt to taste. Serve cold.
Basic Cream Vegetable Soup
This is easy and quick because it consists of little more than puréed cooked vegetables and their cooking liquid (preferably homemade chicken stock, skimmed of all fat) mixed with cream, sour cream, half-and-half, or yogurt. If you have a food processor or blender the puréing is simplicity itself. Failing that, a food mill will serve. If you use a blender, you will have to blend the vegetables with some or all of the cooking liquid, in batches; but unless the vegetable is very dense and starchy, like potatoes or shell beans, this isn’t necessary with the food processor.
The usual proportions for the soup are 1 cup of uncooked chopped or cooked puréed vegetable and 2 cups stock to 1 cup cream, but the thickness of the soup depends on the vegetable you are using. Starchy root vegetables provide their own thickening. If you are using vegetables with a high water content, such as summer squash, cucumbers, or leafy green vegetables, you need a larger quantity of the vegetable and added thickening. I find instant mashed potato, which cooks smooth and is comparatively tasteless, to be an excellent thickener. In fact, it is the best use I know for this “convenience” product. Use one of the 2-serving packages, or more if needed, and stir it into the reheated soup, cooking until you get the consistency you want.
For a more traditional and richer thickening, beat 2 egg yolks with the 1 cup cream before adding it to the soup, and cook gently, stirring, until thickened. However, I think you will find the all-vegetable thickening gives a better, purer flavor and a lighter result—with fewer calories.
The soup base of stock and puréed vegetable can be made in quantity, frozen, thawed, and reheated with the cream when you are ready to serve—and, of course, any of the soups may be served cold.
Once you start to play around with the basic recipe that follows, you can alter and adjust it to suit yourself, adding different flavoring herbs and experimenting with various vegetables and combinations of vegetables. For instance, a cut-up avocado put in the blender or food processor (not the food mill) with a zucchini, watercress, or cucumber soup will both thicken and give a lovely flavor and velvety texture.
Makes 4 servings
2 cups strong fat-free chicken stock (see page 529)
1 cup sliced or finely cut vegetable
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herb of your choice or 1 teaspoon dried herb
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cream (heavy, light, sour), half-and-half, or yogurt
Instant mashed potato for thickening, if needed
Put the stock, vegetables, and herbs in a pan and simmer until tender but not mushy. Purée vegetables in a food mill, food processor, or blender. Return vegetables and liquid to pan and season to taste with salt and pepper, depending on how highly seasoned the stock is. Stir in the cream and reheat. If using sour cream or yogurt, be sure to keep the soup under the boiling point, or it will curdle.
If the soup needs more thickening, stir in instant mashed potatoes and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until thickened to taste. The amount will depend on the natural thickness of the vegetable used. Serve with a garnish of chopped parsley, chives, dill, or whatever herb is appropriate, or a dash of paprika.
Artichoke Soup. Boil the artichokes until tender. Remove and purée the bottoms and scrapings from the leaves; use 1 cup of this purée.
OTHER VEGETABLE AND SEASONING COMBINATIONS
Parsnips |
Cinnamon |
Rutabagas |
Rosemary |
Pumpkin |
Nutmeg |
Salsify |
Chervil |
Summer squash |
Dill |
Winter squash |
Ginger |
Jerusalem artichokes |
Fennel seed |
Cream of Spinach Soup
This soup can be thickened two ways: with a medium béchamel sauce or with instant mashed potatoes. I find that the potato is a far more delicate thickener for a soup you are going to serve cold than the béchamel, which has a flour taste after chilling.
Makes 3 servings
½ cup spinach purée (made from fresh or frozen spinach)
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups chicken broth (fresh or canned)
½ teaspoon tarragon
1 cup medium béchamel (page 531), or 1 serving instant mashed potato (following package directions for preparing)
Cook spinach (if using frozen, 5 ounces; if fresh, 16 to 20 leaves). Remove to colander and drain, squeezing out most of the liquid. Purée in either a food processor or blender. Sauté onion and garlic in butter till soft. Add spinach purée and sauté gently 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and tarragon and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Add the béchamel or mashed potato and heat to boiling. Serve in heated bowls.
Cream of Watercress Soup. Proceed as above, using ½ cup watercress purée (1 bunch, blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes, drained and puréed), 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and ½ teaspoon dill weed instead of tarragon.
Vichyssoise
Louis Diat, who created this famous soup while he was chef at the Ritz in New York, allowed me and my partner, the late William Rhode, to sell it in our shop, Hors d’Oeuvre Incorporated. It was a great hit with New Yorkers in our vicinity, who would order it to take away on weekends.
Makes 6 servings
6 leeks
1 quart rich chicken stock (see page 529)
3 medium potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 cup sour cream or heavy cream (preferably sour cream)
Salt to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
Finely chopped chives
Trim and wash the leeks. Cut off green tops, leaving only the white part. Slice this rather fine. Put leeks in a pan with chicken stock and finely diced potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are well cooked. Strain the broth. Purée the vegetables in a food mill, blender, or food processor. Combine broth and purée and chill 24 hours. A few minutes before serving, stir in sour cream or heavy cream. Add salt to taste and a dash of nutmeg, and chill again for a few minutes. Serve in chilled cups with finely chopped chives on top.
Caviar Vichyssoise. Just before serving, stir 1 tablespoon red or black caviar into each cup, then garnish with chives.
Apple Vichyssoise. Add ½ cup finely chopped raw apple to the soup before chilling.
Watercress Vichyssoise. Add 1 large bunch watercress to vegetables.
Carrot Vichyssoise. Use only 1 leek and add 3 large carrots, coarsely chopped, to the vegetables.
Turnip Vichyssoise. Use only 1 leek and add 3 sliced white turnips to the vegetables.
Cold Minted Pea Soup
This is one of my favorite summer soups, which can be made with yogurt instead of cream if you like a tarter soup with fewer calories.
Makes 8 servings
6 cups chicken stock (see page 529)
1 small onion stuck with 2 cloves
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon tarragon
3 pounds freshly shelled peas or 3 packages frozen peas
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
3 cups heavy cream or yogurt
GARNISH: Finely chopped fresh mint
Cold Beet Soup
The final touch of raw grated beets makes this rather different from other beet soups.
Makes 4 servings
7 small beets, washed
2 cups chicken stock (page 529)
1 large Idaho potato, peeled and quartered
Salt
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
1 cup sour cream
Leave the roots and an inch of the tops on 6 of the beets. Boil the beets in salted water until tender. Peel, slice, and put in a pan with the chicken stock. Cook the potato very slowly in salted water until very soft. Drain, add to the beets and bring to a boil. Purée the broth, beets, and potato in a food mill, blender, or food processor (don’t overcrowd the blender or food processor; it is best to do this in two batches). Reheat the soup with salt to taste, wine vinegar, and chopped tarragon. Mix in the sour cream, off the heat. Chill thoroughly. Before serving, peel and grate the remaining beet. Serve the soup in cups with the finely grated beet on top, or put a dab of sour cream on top and sprinkle with the beet, or with finely cut green onion.
Watercress Soup, Chinese Style
A very different kind of soup from the Orient, rather fun to serve.
Makes 4 servings
6 cups chicken broth, free of fat (page 529)
Soy sauce
2 large bunches watercress, washed and trimmed of coarse ends
4 poached eggs
4 tablespoons finely diced water chestnuts
12 thin strips Virginia ham
Ginger-Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin is one of those vegetables that has got into a rut. You usually find only recipes for baked pumpkin or pumpkin pie, but it makes a perfectly splendid soup for a Thanksgiving or winter dinner.
Makes 6 servings
2-pound pumpkin
1 onion, stuck with 2 cloves
3 cups chicken stock (see page 529)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 cup heavy cream or yogurt
GARNISH: Thin slivers of Smithfield ham or baked country ham (optional)
Peel the pumpkin, remove seeds and strings, and cut into cubes. Put in a pan with the onion, chicken stock, and seasonings—except salt. Cover and cook slowly until pumpkin is soft. Remove onion and purée the soup in a food mill, blender, or food processor. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and more pepper, if needed. Return to the pan and mix in the heavy cream or yogurt. Heat through (if yogurt is used, be sure not to let it get near the boiling point). Garnish with ham, if desired.
Cream of Squash Soup. Use winter squash, such as Hubbard, acorn, or butternut, instead of the pumpkin.
Cold Minted Yogurt Soup
A tart, refreshing soup that is perfect for a summer luncheon or if you are having barbecued steak, chops, or kebabs for dinner.
4 cups yogurt
⅓ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Juice and grated zest of 2 lemons
3 cups rich chicken stock (page 529)
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
GARNISH: Red caviar, paprika
Combine the yogurt, cream, chopped fresh mint, lemon juice and zest, and the chicken stock. Season to taste and whisk lightly. Chill. Serve in chilled cups with a spoonful of red caviar and a sprinkling of paprika.
Lentil Soup
For a one-dish meal on a cold winter’s day, nothing is quite as warming and heartening as a big pot of lentil soup, which can be stretched with the addition of sausages, ham, or smoked pork butt.
Makes 6 servings
1 ham or pork bone
1 pound lentils
2 to 3 quarts water or stock
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
GARNISH: Chopped parsley, crisp croutons
Put the bone and lentils in a deep pot with the water or stock and cook until lentils are very soft, about 1 hour. Put them through a sieve or food mill, or purée in a blender or food processor. Taste the puréed soup for seasoning, and add salt (not much if the meat bone was salty) and pepper to taste. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, and nutmeg and additional water or stock, if necessary, to make a good thick soup. Simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning again and serve topped with chopped parsley and crisp croutons.
Lentil Soup with Frankfurters. Add thinly sliced frankfurters or knockwurst for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
Lentil Soup with Cream. Stir ¾ cup heavy cream into the soup for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Lentil Soup with Ham. Add bite-size pieces of baked ham or cooked pork butt for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
Split-Pea Soup. Instead of lentils, use split peas, which will take about twice as long to cook.
Lentil Soup with Chard and Lemon
A rather different, Syrian version of lentil soup, tartened by lemon juice, that is also delicious served cold.
Makes 6 servings
1½ cups lentils
2½ pounds Swiss chard or spinach
½ cup olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup chopped onion
1 rib celery, chopped
¾ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon flour
Put the lentils in a pot, cover with cold water, and cook, covered, until tender—between 30 and 45 minutes, depending upon processing; taste to see when done. Wash and chop the chard or spinach, and add to the lentils with 1 cup water. Cook until chard is wilted.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Crush the garlic with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté the onion, garlic, and celery until soft, then add to the lentils. Mix the lemon juice and flour and stir into the soup. Simmer, stirring, until the soup thickens slightly. Taste and correct seasoning. Serve in soup bowls, with crusty French or Italian bread.
Lentil Soup with Cotechino. Poach a cotechino with the lentils, during the first cooking. Remove, slice, and add to the finished soup.
Garbure Basquaise
A hearty soup-stew from the Basque country which combines beans, other vegetables, and ham. It can be varied in all kinds of ways by adding leftover meat or poultry.
Makes 6 servings
1 pound white pea beans
½ pound dried peas, green or yellow
1 ham bone, with meat
3 bay leaves
1 onion, stuck with 2 cloves
3 quarts water
Salt
4 white turnips, cut in small pieces
6 potatoes, cut in small pieces
4 carrots, sliced
4 leeks, washed and sliced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped, or 1 tablespoon garlic purée (see page 534)
1 teaspoon thyme
12 small sausages
1 small cabbage, shredded
GARNISH: Grated Swiss cheese
Garbure Gratiné. Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls, top with toast, and sprinkle the toast with grated Swiss cheese. Put under the broiler just long enough to glaze the cheese.
Garbure with Pig’s Knuckles. Substitute pig’s knuckles for the ham bone.
Marion Cunningham’s Minestrone
Another wonderful main-course soup that is interesting enough to serve to a group of friends for supper or a buffet. Follow it with cheese and fruit.
Makes 8 servings
¾ cup Great Northern beans or white pea beans
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
⅛ pound salt pork, cut in fine shreds
6 sprigs parsley, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
Leaves from 1 rib celery, chopped
½ teaspoon dried thyme
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coqrsely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 potato, diced
12¾-ounce can beef broth or 2 cups beef stock
2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
2 zucchini, coarsely chopped
A few leaves Swiss chard or spinach, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh basil
1 cup cooked pasta, such as small macaroni (optional)
Grated Parmesan cheese
Cover the beans with water, bring to a boil, and boil 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 1 hour. Drain. Put back in the pot with 1½ quarts water and salt, and simmer until tender, from 1 to 1½ hours. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Purée in the blender or food processor with some of their liquid, then add enough of the remaining liquid to make a thick soup. Return to the pot.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the salt pork, parsley, onion, celery leaves, and thyme until onion is soft. Add the celery, tomatoes, carrot, potato, beef broth, and bean soup. Simmer gently 15 minutes, then add the cabbage, zucchini, chard or spinach, and basil. If the broth seems too thick, add more bean liquid or beef broth. Cook 15 to 20 minutes. Add the cooked pasta, if used, for the last 5 minutes to reheat. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with grated cheese, and accompany with crusty hot French or Italian bread.
Minestrone with Sausage. Add slices of poached garlic sausage or Italian sausages to the soup 4 to 5 minutes before serving.
Minestrone with Chickpeas or Kidney Beans. Add drained, rinsed canned chickpeas or red kidney beans to the soup.
Minestrone with Ham. Add pieces of cooked ham to the soup.
Black Bean Soup
One of the greatest of all American soups. This version also comes from Leon Lianides, owner of The Coach House Restaurant in New York, where it is one of the specialties of the house. Black bean soup freezes well and is worth making in quantity.
Makes 12 servings
2 cups black beans
4 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 leeks, well washed and coarsely cut
1 celery rib, cleaned and coarsely cut
2 bay leaves
2 or 3 cloves
1 ham shank, split, with bone and rind
3 pounds beef or veal bones
8 peppercorns
2 tablespoons flour
4 to 5 quarts water
½ cup Madeira wine
GARNISH: Chopped parsley, 2 or 3 finely chopped hard-boiled eggs, thin slices of lemon
Soak beans overnight in cold water to cover. Next day melt the butter in a stock pot, add the onions, garlic, leeks, celery, bay leaves, and cloves. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the ham shank and bones and cook 3 or 4 minutes. Add the peppercorns and flour and blend well. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then add 4 to 5 quarts water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, skim off scum and simmer for about 8 hours, covered except for a small air space between pot and lid.
Drain the soaked beans, add them to the pot, and simmer a further 2½ hours, stirring occasionally. If the mixture gets too thick or the beans are not completely covered with liquid, add more water. When the beans are soft, discard the bones and purée all the ingredients by putting the soup through a food mill or processing in batches in a food processor or in a blender. Reheat the puréed soup with the Madeira. Serve garnished with chopped parsley, hard-boiled egg, and lemon slices. Or put a whole hard-boiled egg in each serving, to be broken up with a spoon. Hot cornsticks are wonderful accompaniments.
The Coach House Tripe Soup
A marvelously hearty, lip-smacking soup from Leon Lianides, owner of The Coach House Restaurant. As it is rather a production, you might as well make a good batch and have soup-loving friends in to share it. One evening six of us consumed almost the whole amount, it was so good, and served in my big, round porcelain bowls, it was the main dish of the meal. You can always freeze whatever is left over. This is a soup that tastes better if made a day or two ahead, chilled, skimmed of all fat, and reheated. As the cooking times for tripe depend on how much it has been processed—some supermarket tripe may take only an hour or two to become tender, whereas tripe bought in a meat market may need four hours or more—it is as well to test a small piece of the tripe first to see how long it takes to get to the stage you like. I prefer tripe when it is still a bit chewy and gutsy, not when it is so soft all the texture has been lost. Veal tongues are best for this soup, but as they are often hard to come by you can substitute the more widely available beef tongue.
Makes about 6 quarts
5 pounds honeycomb tripe
3 pounds veal bones
3 pig’s feet, split lengthwise
2 veal tongues or 1 beef tongue
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 ribs celery, with leaves on, coarsely cut
3 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 leeks, well cleaned and sliced
Bouquet garni of 1 bay leaf, 4 parsley sprigs tied in a rib of celery
3 teaspoons thyme
3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Coarse (kosher) salt to taste
½ teaspoon Tabasco
½ cup brandy
10 egg yolks
2 tablespoons potato starch
Juice of 3 lemons, or to taste
GARNISH: Chopped parsley
Wash the tripe, bones, and pig’s feet in cold water. The tripe may need several rinsings, according to how clean it is when you buy it. Remove excess fat from the tripe and cut it into fairly large pieces, about 3 inches square. Put the bones, pig’s feet, tripe, and tongues or tongue in a deep stock pot with enough water to more than cover the ingredients (about 1 gallon). Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes, skimming off all the scum that rises to the surface. Add the garlic, celery, onions, carrots, leeks, bouquet garni, thyme, pepper, and a fair amount of salt, about 3 tablespoons. Return to boiling point, then reduce the heat, and simmer for 2½ to 3 hours, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. The veal tongues will take about 1½ hours to cook, the beef tongue about 3 hours. Check the meats periodically, and if the veal tongues are done (test by inserting the point of a knife), remove them from the broth. Check the tripe and the beef tongue also. When any of the meats are done, they can be removed to a large platter. Skin the tongues and cut them and the tripe into strips about ½ inch wide and 1½ inches long.
When all the meats are cooked, discard the veal bones, take the meat from the pig’s feet and add to the other meats and discard the pig bones. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Chill the broth until the fat congeals on top, then remove by skimming and laying paper towels on the surface to absorb the remaining fat. Add the Tabasco and brandy. Reheat the broth and reduce by about a third by rapid boiling. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
Beat the egg yolks until light in a bowl. Mix the potato starch with 1 cup cold water and add this mixture and the lemon juice to the egg yolks. Beat in a cup of the hot broth, a little at a time, beating continuously. Return to the pot and mix well. Add the meats. Reheat the soup gently, stirring, until it comes almost to a boil and thickens. Do not let it boil. Serve the soup hot, sprinkled with parsley.
Oyster Bisque
A deliciously velvety soup that is equally good hot or cold. If you serve it chilled, garnish with chopped chives instead of parsley. Either fresh or canned oysters can be used, with liquor from fresh oysters substituting for part of the bottled clam juice.
½ cup rice
1 quart bottled clam juice
4 tablespoons butter
18 oysters
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon Tabasco
1½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup cognac
GARNISH: Chopped parsley
Cook the rice in the clam juice in a pan until very soft. Add the butter. Force the mixture through a fine sieve, or whirl in the blender until smooth. Finely chop 12 of the oysters (or whirl in the blender or food processor until finely chopped; if you use the blender it will be necessary to add a little of the oyster liquor). Combine chopped oysters and rice mixture in a pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the Tabasco. Stir in the heavy cream. Heat just to the boiling point. Add the 6 whole oysters and heat until they just curl at the edges. Add the cognac and cook 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into heated cups, putting a whole oyster in each cup. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with Melba toast.
Clam Bisque. Use fresh or canned clams instead of oysters.
Shrimp Soup
A simple and delicious soup that is equally good hot or cold.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
1½ pounds shrimp
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 cup heavy cream
GARNISH: Salted whipped cream, grated lemon rind
Place the shrimp in the fish stock and cook for 3 minutes after the stock comes to a boil. Remove and shell the shrimp. Return the shells to the broth with the thyme, pepper, garlic, onion, and sherry. Bring to a boil, cook 10 minutes, then strain. Purée the shrimp in the blender or food processor with the cream. Combine shrimp and soup, mix well, correct the seasoning, and serve with a spoonful of salted whipped cream sprinkled with grated lemon rind in each cup.
Curried Scallop Soup. Cook 1½ pounds bay scallops in the fish stock for 5 minutes after stock comes to a boil. Remove scallops. Add and cook the thyme, pepper, garlic, and onion, but omit the sherry and instead add 1 tablespoon curry powder. Purée scallops and cream and purée the vegetables and stock. Combine the 2 mixtures. Correct seasoning and add 2 tablespoons dry sherry or Madeira, if desired. Serve hot. Or serve cold with 1 tablespoon chutney stirred into each serving and a little toasted coconut sprinkled on top.
Chili Scallop Soup. Instead of curry powder, use chili powder.
Castilian Mussel Soup
Mussels are another shellfish that lend themselves beautifully to puréed soups. In this case the addition of vegetables gives another, heartier dimension.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
½ cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chopped blanched spinach
½ teaspoon rosemary
1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
Salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander
2 quarts mussels
6 cups fish stock (see page 530)
GARNISH: Finely chopped parsley or hard-boiled egg
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and sauté the chopped onion, garlic cloves, chopped blanched spinach, rosemary, and tomato. Season with salt to taste, pepper, and coriander. Wash, scrub, and beard the mussels, and steam them open in the fish stock in a heavy pan. Remove the opened mussels from the broth, take them from the shells, and strain the broth through a triple thickness of cheesecloth or a linen napkin.
Combine the mussels, the sautéed vegetables, and the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Force the mixture through a food mill or whirl in the blender. Reheat and serve with a garnish of parsley or egg.
The Palace Mussel Soup
Another type of mussel soup from New York’s luxury restaurant. This one is highly refined and a lot of trouble, but worth the effort as a special beginning for a dinner party. Billi Bi is a simpler version of cream of mussel soup.
3 pounds mussels, washed, scrubbed, and bearded
5 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons diced parsley stalks
1 bay leaf
Pinch of thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup dry white wine
½ cup water
2 cups fish stock (see page 530)
9 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 egg yolks
½ cup heavy cream
Salt
2 pinches saffron
½ pound raw bay scallops
⅓ cup celery, cut in julienne strips
⅓ cup carrot, cut in julienne strips
⅓ cup leeks, cut in julienne strips
1 or 2 drops lemon juice
Put the mussels in a large pot with the shallots, parsley stalks, bay leaf, thyme, 5 grinds of black pepper, ½ cup of the white wine, the water, and fish stock. Cover, bring to a boil, and cook quickly over high heat until shells open. Remove the opened mussels (discard any with closed shells) and use cold for mussel salad or mussels rémoulade (see page 14). Strain the broth through a double thickness of fine cheesecloth into an enameled pan, and boil down rapidly over high heat to about 3 cups, to concentrate the flavor.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, blend in the flour and stir over low heat for 2 minutes. Mix in the hot mussel broth and cook, stirring, until it boils and thickens. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes. If the mixture gets too thick (it should be of cream-soup consistency), thin with additional fish stock. Strain through a sieve into another pan. Beat the egg yolks lightly with the heavy cream, add a little of the hot soup, then mix into the soup in the pan. Heat gently, stirring, until soup comes just to the simmer (if it boils, the egg will curdle). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Boil the saffron with the remaining ¼ cup white wine until dissolved. Add to the soup with the bay scallops, julienne vegetables, and lemon juice. Finally, enrich the soup by gradually stirring in the remaining 6 tablespoons sweet butter. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.
Billi Bi. Cook the mussels as directed. After removing the mussels and straining the broth through cheesecloth, bring the broth to the boiling point in a large pan. Beat 2 egg yolks with 2 cups heavy cream and stir in about ½ cup of the hot broth. Remove pan from heat and stir the egg-cream mixture into the broth. Reheat, stirring, until slightly thickened, but do not allow the mixture to get near the boiling point or the eggs will curdle. Serve hot or cold. A few of the cooked mussels may be used as a garnish.
A Provençal soup with many different versions, the one constant factor being the fiery rouille that is stirred into it. This one, almost like a puréed bouillabaisse, makes a full meal.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Bouquet garni of fennel, bay leaf, parsley, and oregano
3 quarts water
2 pounds sole fillets, cut in thirds
Fish heads, scraps, and bones, tied in a cheesecloth bag
3 tablespoons cognac
½ pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta) or acini di pepe
Large pinch of saffron
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
GARNISH: Garlic croutons, grated Parmesan cheese
Rouille
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the leek and onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bouquet garni, water, fish and bag of fish bones and heads. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid. Discard bouquet garni and bag of fish bones and heads. Purée fish and vegetables in a blender or food processor, or by putting through a food mill. Return purée to pan with liquid (reserving ¾ cup of the liquid for the sauce). Bring to a boil and add the cognac and orzo. Pound the saffron in a mortar with a little salt and add to the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook gently until orzo is soft. Serve in deep soup plates with the garlic croutons, cheese, and rouille. The rouille, an intensely hot sauce, is stirred into the soup at the table to taste and should be handled with caution.
ROUILLE
Pound 8 cloves garlic, 3 small dried red peppers (seeds removed), and 2 tablespoons bread crumbs in a mortar and pestle. Gradually work in ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon paprika, at least 1 teaspoon or more Tabasco, and ½ cup of the reserved fish stock. Or process all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until mixed to a smooth paste, adding a little more stock if necessary.
This traditional Scottish soup resembles the French peasant leek and potato soup (the inspiration for the elegant Vichyssoise on page 54) with smoked fish added, which is maybe not too surprising as the Scots and the French had so many historic links. In fact, if you purée the soup and serve it cold, you might call it Scotch Vichyssoise. It makes a beautiful cold soup, with great body, flavor, and flair.
Makes 6 servings
3 medium to large potatoes
2 or 3 leeks, well washed, and cut in small pieces
½ to ¾ pound finnan haddie (sometimes called “smoked fillet”)
½ to 1 cup heavy cream (optional)
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Grated nutmeg
4 to 5 tablespoons butter
GARNISH: Chopped parsley
Peel the potatoes and put in a pan with 3 cups of very lightly salted water (the finnan haddie is salty) with the leeks. Cook until potatoes are tender. Remove potatoes and purée by putting through a food mill or processor. Set aside. Add the finnan haddie to the pan and poach gently until soft, about 15 minutes. It should flake easily with a fork. Strain, reserving the cooking liquid, and put two-thirds of the fish through the food mill or processor, reserving the rest for garnish. Combine the puréed fish, puréed potatoes, and cooking liquid, add the cream, if desired, and bring slowly to a boil, stirring, until the potato thickens the soup. Taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed, some pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir in the butter and serve in large soup plates or cups. Just before serving, crumble the reserved fish and sprinkle on top of the soup, with chopped parsley.
Scotch Vichyssoise. Purée all the fish, combine with the puréed potatoes and cooking liquid and chill. Before serving, stir in heavy cream to taste and adjust the seasonings. Garnish with finely chopped chives and parsley.
Gruyère Soup
This is very close to the more usual Cheddar soup, but the flavor and texture are entirely different. Be sure to use Gruyère cheese from Switzerland, or your soup will not be a success.
4 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth, blended with 1 teaspoon or more Dijon mustard
2½ cups grated or shredded Swiss Gruyère cheese
Tabasco
GARNISH: Croutons, chopped parsley
Combine the melted butter and flour in a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat for several minutes. Stir in the milk and continue stirring until slightly thickened. Then add the chicken broth and mustard. Heat through. Very carefully stir in the grated or shredded cheese and a dash or two of Tabasco, stirring until the cheese is just melted. Correct the seasoning, adding a little salt if necessary, and serve in heated cups or soup plates, adding a few croutons to each and a bit of finely chopped parsley.
Cheddar Soup. Use grated Cheddar cheese in place of the Gruyère.
Cheddar-Olive Soup. Add ½ cup sliced ripe olives to the Cheddar soup at the last minute.