A Beautiful Bowl of Soup (3 page)

It doesn’t matter what it’s called—stock, bouillon, or broth—the brew provides the medium (flavor and liquid) for a soup. When making vegetarian soups, top-quality ingredients are essential. For preparing recipes in this book, a good vegetable stock is absolutely vital, especially in brothy soups of vegetables and herbs.

Making stock from scratch isn’t always practical, so it’s important to have good-tasting packaged stocks on hand. You’ll find these products in your supermarket or at a natural-foods store.

I’ve cooked with many vegetable stock products: liquid stock in cans or in aseptic boxes, as well as cubes, granules, and concentrates to mix with water. The choices are endless, and the quality and flavors differ significantly among brands. Experiment to find those you like. In the process, remember that if a vegetable stock is too strongly flavored, use less, or dilute it with water.

Some stocks contain preservatives or sweetener; others are made from organic vegetables. Some are overly salty, some herb flavored, others mild. They may be made of dehydrated vegetables or offer distinct flavors, such as vegetarian “mock chicken” stock. They may be inexpensive or very costly. Nomatter which you choose, check the package labels and read the small print so you know what is in the product you select and how to store it.

I favor a light-colored unsalted stock powder made from dehydrated vegetables without predominate flavorings to compete with the seasoning in my soups. The powder keeps indefinitely in my kitchen cabinet. I also use liquid stock in aseptic packaging, which offers fresh flavor and long shelf life without the addition of preservatives.

When time permits, preparing vegetable stock is so simple, you don’t really need a recipe. Make your stockpot the destination for the odds and ends of many vegetables. Just toss them into a plastic bag in your freezer, where you can store them until needed.

to achieve a balance of flavors, keep the following in mind:

: For light-colored stock, use light-colored vegetables, such as celery stalks (with leaves), leeks, onions, carrots, garlic, and fresh flat-leaf parsley.

: For a darker stock, add to the above lentils, mushrooms, and onion skins. Or, begin by browning the onions and add a dash of soy sauce to the completed stock.

: Strong-flavored vegetables, such as asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower, yield a strong broth. Add them sparingly.

: Parsnips and carrots sweeten the liquid; carrot greens can make a stock bitter.

:Starchy ingredients, such as corn, peas, rice, potatoes, and lentils, will make a stock cloudy if used in abundance.

: If you see foam on the surface of the stock as it cooks, skim it off occasionally to help keep the stock clear.

: Add herbs in moderation. The primary flavorings should come from the main ingredients in the soup recipe; salt and pepper are added to suit your taste after the soup is cooked.

: It is not necessary to peel vegetables. Wash them and trim to remove any bad spots or bruises.

: Cut the vegetables into large chunks. Small pieces disintegrate, making the stock cloudy.

: To intensify the flavors, sauté the vegetables in a small amount of butter or oil before adding the water, or roast the vegetables. You can use a flavorless oil, like canola, or choose olive oil to add its distinctive character.

: Cover the vegetables completely with water and bring to a boil in a stockpot over high heat. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour. (To intensify the flavor, reduce the stock by simmering it, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes or so.) If the stock remains at a vigorous boil, it will become murky.

: After simmering, drain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve to remove vegetable particles. Lining the sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth will make the broth clearer.

: The stock will keep for up to 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen for up to 6 months. If you plan to use the stock in small amounts, freeze it in ice-cube trays; once frozen, store the cubes in freezer bags.

Here is a basic vegetable stock recipe to get you started.

Makes 8 cups

2 tablespoons canola or olive oil

1 large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large tomato, quartered

2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch chunks, with leaves

2 leeks (white parts only), halved lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into 1-inch slices

1 parsnip, cut into 1-inch chunks

4 cloves garlic, sliced in half crosswise

8 cups water

4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh basil

2 bay leaves

6 whole black peppercorns

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, tomato, carrots, celery, leeks, parsnip, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the stock come to room temperature. Drain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve into a large bowl, pressing against the solids with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.

This stock will keep for up to 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen for up to 6 months.

For a richer stock, first roast the vegetables until they caramelize before adding them to the pot: Preheat the oven to 425° F. Toss the vegetables with the oil until coated. Transfer the vegetables to a roasting pan or spread them on a jelly-roll pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake, uncovered, turning the vegetables occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until tender and browned. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a Dutch oven; add the remaining ingredients and follow the vegetable stock recipe.

In the childhood memories of every good cook, there’s a large kitchen, a simmering pot, and a mom.

—Barbara Costikyon

Curried Carrot Soup with Cilantro-Pistachio Cream

Yukon Gold Potato Soup with Black Olive Caviar

Cream of Tomato Soup with Puff Pastry Crowns

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Walnuts

Chestnut Soup

Roasted Bell Pepper Soup with Lemon Vinaigrette

Fresh Pea Soup with Parmesan Cream

Curried Granny Smith Apple and Yam Soup with Glazed Pecans

Sweet Potato–Ancho Bisque with Apple-Pecan Salsa and Roasted Red Pepper Cream

Pear and Gouda Soup with Toasted Walnut–Cranberry Salsa

Polynesian Peanut Soup with Toasted Coconut

French Vegetable Soup with Sherried Mushrooms

Velvety cream soups are simple luxuries. The sensuous texture may be achieved in various ways. Roux, a cooked mixture of flour and butter to which cream or milk is added, is the traditional thickener for creamy soups, as in Pear and Gouda Soup with Toasted Walnut-Cranberry Salsa.

Cooked vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, or peas, can be puréed to add body to a soup and give it a creamy texture as they do in Curried Carrot Soup with Cilantro-Pistachio Cream and Yukon Gold Potato Soup with Black Olive Caviar. Sometimes, only part of the soup is puréed to thicken a soup filled with chunky ingredients. This is always an option when using puréed creamy soup recipes.

TIP

Brown-skinned russet potatoes are starchier than red-skinned potatoes. They are the potato of choice for thickening soups.

It’s important that vegetables be cooked until very tender if they’re to be puréed. A blender achieves a smoother consistency, breaking down the fibers of vegetables more effectively than a food processor.

After cooking the vegetables and stock, let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes before blending. Because the volume of the soup is usually larger than the capacity of the blender container, it will be necessary to purée the ingredients in several batches. You’ll need a bowl or other container to hold the puréed mixture before it is poured back into the Dutch oven.

Ladle part of the vegetables and some of the vegetable stock into the blender jar, filling it only about a third to half full. Hold a towel over the blender lid as a safety precaution, since some soup may escape. Start with the lowest speed, and pulse the machine in short spurts to begin. Then gradually increase the speed until you reach the desired consistency. Take care not to overprocess; potatoes, in particular, can become gummy if processed for too long.

To use a food processor for puréeing soups, fit it with the metal blade. Ladle some of the cooked vegetables and part of the soup liquid into the food processor bowl. Do not overfill the bowl, or it will overflow when the machine is turned on. Close and pulse the machine several times, then run it without stopping just until the desired texture is reached. You may need to push down the ingredients from the side of the bowl using a rubber spatula to ensure a smooth consistency.

After puréeing the soup, it will need reheating. Rinse the Dutch oven with water and then return the soup to the pot, stirring gently as you add any other ingredients, and reheat the soup to serving temperature.

Handheld blenders, also called immersion or stick blenders, can be lowered directly into a pot of soup. This means less time and less mess, since the soup does not need to be transferred to a blender container. Generally, however, these don’t have the power of a traditional blender. To use a handheld blender, hold the machine upright in the center bottom of your pan, then turn it on and move it around but do not bring it to the surface. Keeping the blade in the food will prevent spattering.

Many puréed soups call for the addition of a dairy product. I’ve suggested the choice or choices I use most often and in the order of my preference, but keep in mind that milk (skim, percent, or whole), half-and-half, and cream are interchangeable in these recipes. Even a sour-cream garnish can be nonfat. Your selection will determine how filling and hearty your soup will be.

If you’d like, you can prepare these soups in advance through the puréeing step and refrigerate or freeze the mixture, then add the dairy product (milk, half-and-half, or cream) when reheating.

The smooth, flat surface of creamy soups offers a perfect canvas for garnishes that add color, texture, flavor, and spice, as well as style. A cream in a contrasting color, such as Roasted Red Pepper Cream, can be applied in a swirl or design using a plastic squeeze bottle. Toasted Walnut–Cranberry Salsa and Sherried Mushrooms add flavor and texture. And shaped Buttered Croutons can add a touch of whimsy.

TIP

If you want to freeze a soup that includes dairy, prepare it without the dairy product, then freeze it. When you want to serve it, defrost the soup, heat it, and stir in the dairy product. For soups containing pasta, freeze them without the pasta, then stir in the cooked pasta once the soup is defrosted and reheated.

I live on good soup, not fine words.

—Molière

This colorful soup makes a satisfying main course or an elegant first course. You may use milk in lieu of half-and-half and add more vegetable stock if you prefer a thinner, lighter soup.

Makes 4 cups (4 servings)

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves (see Tip)

¼ cup salted pistachios

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ cup half-and-half or milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 apple, cored, peeled, and coarsely chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped red onion

2 teaspoons curry powder

1½ cups vegetable stock

1 pound (about 5) carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 cup half-and-half or milk

˜ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

˜ crème fraîche or sour cream and finely chopped fresh chives for garnish

Process all the ingredients, except the half-and-half, in a food processor to make a coarse purée. Add the half-and-half; process until smooth. Set aside to allow the flavors to blend.

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the apple and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder; stir for about 30 seconds.

Add the vegetable stock and carrots. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes.

In 2 batches, purée the soup in a blender until smooth. (The soup will have tiny specks of carrot rather than being completely smooth.)

Return the soup to the pan. Add the half-and-half; stir occasionally over medium heat until warmed through. Season to taste.

Garnish each serving with crème fraîche, a swirl of the cilantro cream, and a sprinkling of chives. (To dispense the cilantro cream in a plastic squeeze bottle, thin it with additional milk or water.)

Refrigerate this soup and the cilantro cream in separate covered containers for up to 3 days. When reheating the soup and before serving the cilantro cream, stir in vegetable stock or milk to thin as desired.

TIP

Cilantro is also known as fresh coriander or Chinese parsley. Ground coriander, an ingredient in most curry powders, is made from the ground seeds of the plant and serves a different purpose in cooking than the fresh leaves.

The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.

—Mae West