|
as winter sets in, nothing warms the spirits and the kitchen like a pot of simmering soup.
If you are among those who assume that soup comes from a can or a restaurant, this recipe will allow you to discover for yourself how simple it is to make a savory soup from scratch*. All you have to do is a little slicing and dicing. The exotic flavor of fresh ginger combined with the sweet spice of the nutmeg will do the rest of the work for you. Trust me, if you can connect the dots, you'll be enjoying a party in your mouth in less than an hour. Mr. Campbell, eat your heart out.
Ingredients
7 cups of chicken, or vegetable, stock*
4 tablespoons butter
2 lbs. fresh carrots, peeled
3 leeks, sliced in half lengthwise and thoroughly cleaned
1 yam, peeled
4 stalks of celery
1 three-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 pint of heavy cream (optional)
1. In a large pot, bring stock to a boil.
2. Chop all vegetables into small pieces (approximately 1/2 inch cubes).
3. In a sauté pan, over med-high heat, melt half of the butter. Sauté vegetables
with ginger and nutmeg for approximately 15 minutes, or until vegetables are
browned. Add remaining butter as needed.
4. Add sautéed vegetables to stock, reduce heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30
minutes.
5. Let cool to room temperature and then puree in a blender. Soup should be thick and
smooth.
6. Add salt and pepper.
7. To serve, add approximately 1 tablespoon of cream per serving and re-heat.
Do not
let boil.
8. Serve in warmed bowls.
Le Secret: Browning the vegetables before simmering them brings out their naturally sweet flavors. The browner (without burning), the better.
Adventure club: Make your own stock.
Suggested accompaniment: A warm loaf of multi-grain bread.
Notes:
—Vegetable sauteing may require two pans.
— Adding the cream at the reheating stage, rather than all at once, extends the
refrigerator life of the soup.
—If you plan to feed any vegetarians, use a vegetable stock.
Alternatives: Use half & half instead of heavy cream — or simply omit the cream altogether.
Warning: If you attempt to puree soup before it has cooled down, the top of the blender will blow and you will have an orange kitchen. (Trust me, I've been there.)
Music to Cook By: The Neville Brothers, Yellow Moon.
Wine: French Beaujolais [red].
*Use low salt canned stock, if available. Bouillon cubes will also suffice.
(Snobbish gourmands may insist that "soup from scratch" includes making the stock. For a rich soup like this one, I am not convinced that it makes a significant difference — and frankly, I'd rather be sailing).
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
|
