The Soup Loop

woah woah woah pozole!

2007-08-29T10:18:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was, yes, too hot to cook soup for hours. But it didn't matter once we got the new issue of Gourmet. You'll see several of the recipes from their articles on Latin food in the next week or two at Soup Loop. Last night belonged to Pozole Rojo...and guess what? This morning we were still in love.

The truth is, when you set out to make pozole (a Mexican chile-sauced pork and hominy stew), you're in for several hours of cooking. Not working straight for four hours, but being near the kitchen for sure. I'd never made pozole before, so didn't really know how working with the dried chiles would go, or how spicy the finished dish would be, and there are some things I will change the next time I make it. First, I won't completely seed the dried chiles. My finished soup had less heat than I was wanting (my guests and I dressed up our bowls with some minced fresh jalapeno, and problem solved). Second, I will follow the instructions to tie the herbs together...it's really important to be able to remove the herbs from the broth easily. Finally, I will buy a bigger pot and make a double batch.

Pozole Rojo
(from Gourmet Sept. 2007)

1 bunch mint (1 oz.)
1 bunch cilantro (1 oz.)
4 lb country-style pork ribs (not lean)
10 cups water
26 garlic cloves (about 1 1/2 heads), peeled, divided
1 (1/2-lb.) white onion, quartered, plus 1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
5 whole black peppercorns
2 oz. dried guajillo or New mexico chiles (6 to 9), wiped clean
1 1/2 oz. dried ancho chiles (2 to 4), wiped clean
1 whole clove
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 (15-oz.) cans hominy, rinsed and drained (I used one can of white and two of yellow)

Accompaniments for serving: diced avocado; crema; queso fresco; thinly sliced iceberg or romaine lettuce; chopped white onion; sliced radishes; fried tortilla strips or chips; lime wedges; dried oregano; dried hot red-pepper flakes

Tie together mint and cilantro with kitchen string.
Bring pork and water to a boil in a large pot, skimming froth, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add tied herbs, 20 cloves garlic, quartered onion, oregano, peppercorns, and 2 teaspoons of salt and gently simmer, uncovered, until pork is very tender, about 2 hours. Strain broth through a large sieve into a large heatproof bowl. Return broth to pot. Discard mint and cilantro. Transfer cooked onion and garlic to a blender with 1 1/2 cups broth and puree until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Add puree to broth. Discard bones and coarsely shred pork into broth.
Meanwhile, slit chiles lengthwise, then stem and seed. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot, then toast chiles in batches, opened flat, turning and pressing with tongs, until more pliable and slightly changed in color, about 30 seconds per batch. Transfer to a bowl and pour 2 2/3 cups boiling water over chiles. Soak, covered, until softened, about 30 minutes.
Puree chiles with 1/12 cups soaking liquid, chopped onion, remaining 6 garlic cloves, whole clove, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in cleaned blender until a smooth paste forms, about 2 minutes. (I just rinsed out my blender.)
Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then add chile paste (it will spatter) and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.
Add chile paste and hominy to pork and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt.

Serves 8-10

I consulted with one of my dinner guests who had eaten pozole before, and we agreed that the most crucial toppings are radish and lime. Last night we also used lettuce, avocado, and jalapeno. And this morning, as you can see, was all about the huevos.

Chicken Provencal, Ya'll.

2007-08-25T11:03:00.001-05:00

This is one of the best things I've ever cooked or eaten...I took Daniel Boulud's recipe and adapted it slightly. It's one of those dishes that gives you more leftovers than you think it will, that tastes better than you think it will, that impresses your friends more than you think it will, and teaches you a lot about cooking in the process. In the photo you can see big chunks of potatoes, chicken pieces still on the bone (just barely), nicoise olives, red bell pepper...vive la provencal.

Note: using canned tomatoes saves you some time and another dirty pot. When tomatoes aren't the feature of a dish, I see no problem using canned, even in summer.

Chicken Provencal
(adapted from Daniel Boulud's Cooking in New York City)

one 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 spring onions, white part with 1/2-inch of green tops
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch thick strips
8 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise in quarters
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks (I use canned whole tomatoes)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
3 ounces haricots verts (or green beans), tipped and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/3 cup black olives, pitted (nicoise or kalamata are good for this dish)

Warm 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven or casserole over medium-high heat. Season the chicken all over with salt & pepper and dust with the flour. When the oil is hot, slip the chicken pieces in and sear on all sides until well-browned about 10 minutes (I do this in two batches to avoid crowding and steaming the chicken). With all the browned chicken in the pot, add the onions, red pepper, and potatoes and stir until all the vegetables are coated with oil. Add the wine & stir the browned bits on the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Let the wine cook down until reduced by about half, and then add the stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
While the chicken cooks: Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a medium-sized bowl with ice-water (this is to plunge the green beans in to preserve color and texture). When the pot of water comes to a boil, drop in the green beans and boil for 3 minutes (or 4 minutes if beans are large). Immediately drain and drop the beans in the ice water; they can stay there until you need them.
Also while the chicken cooks: Warm the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and zucchini and cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to paper towel-lined plates to drain. (This saute intensifies the sweetness of the vegetables and helps them keep their shape longer in the dish.)
After the chicken has simmered for 30 minutes, add the green beans, eggplant and zucchini to the pot and cook together for 10 minutes. Stir in the olives and season with salt and pepper (taste the broth for seasoning). Discard the bay leaf and thyme spring as you find them. Serve in pasta or soup plates, with bread for dipping.

Serves 5 or 6 people who like good food.

♠

Look what happened!

2007-09-23T11:33:00.001-05:00

So, after you make your fabulous chicken stock, you might want to do this: make chicken noodle soup. Boring, you might think. But no. This is important. It's a very simple recipe, once you have homemade stock. (Don't make this if you're going to regress and settle for canned.) It's very economical too. Very healthful as well, if you get good chicken. It's more filling than you'd expect. It's one of those foods that tastes better than it seems possible for it to taste. It's food that reminds us that, if we go through all the steps, life is easy and good.

I used the recipe from Barefoot Contessa Family Style. Her soup recipes are always right.

Chicken Noodle Soup

(serves 4 to 6)

1 whole (2 halves) chicken breast, with skin and bones
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts homemade chicken stock
2 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 cups wide egg noodles, uncooked
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350.
Place the chicken breast on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred or dice the meat.
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium-large pot and add the celery, carrots, and noodles. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the noodles are cooked. Add the cooked chicken and the parsley and heat through.
Add salt and pepper until it's tasty, and serve.

Rooted in Fiber

2008-08-25T11:17:00.009-05:00

Talk about your inexpensive, good-smelling, sinus-clearing soup: this is a recipe from Soup by Williams-Sonoma, a book I turn to again and again for simple, accomplishable soup recipes. The first time I made their Carrot Soup with Ginger and Orange, I was expecting a healthy bowl, but one I'd more or less be forcing on myself (and others) for health's sake. Surprised we all were that this soup tasted rich. I'm not sure what magic ginger holds that makes it both clearingly light and duskily filling at the same time, but I like it. The orange zest also contributes to the richness, I think.

A tip: buy a real-live orange for the juice and zest (zest is the colorful part of the fruit's skin--just grate the fruit shallowly, before you get to the white underskin). Prepared o.j. doesn't cut it in a soup with so few ingredients.

Carrot Soup with Orange and Ginger
(from Soup by Williams-Sonoma)

3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, including tender green parts, thinly sliced (wash these well!)
6 carrots, about 1 pound, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red potato, about 1/2 pound, peeled and diced
1 1/2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock or prepared broth
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
salt and freshly ground white pepper (black is fine too)
garnishes: thin orange slices; fresh mint sprigs

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the leeks and saute until just slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, potato, and ginger and saute until the vegetables are just softened, about 5 minutes longer.
Add the stock, cover partially, and simmer until the vegetables are completely softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches, leaving some texture, and return the soup to the pan. Alternatively, process with a handheld blender in the pan until the desired consistency is reached. Return the soup to medium heat and stir in the orange juice and zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish each serving with an orange slice and a sprig of mint.

serves 4-6

when I smell bacon, I can do anything

2009-02-03T13:51:00.016-06:00

I will never be a vegetarian. I might cut waaaaaay back on the meat to help shut down Big Food (read this book), but I will always permit myself to enjoy a bit of the pig now and then. When I eat it, I feel calm. I'm safe. I'm young. And more importantly, I'm enjoying the heck out of my food.

Potato soup has many incarnations, and this Potato-Cheese Soup with Bacon is a combo of two favorite soup memories of mine (potato-cheese soup at the late-twentieth-century cas-din chain, "The Black-Eyed Pea," and a hearty bacon-potato soup made by one J. Meyer for a winter birthday last year). I got to thinking about the warming, cozying qualities of potato soup last week, when we had a cold spell (below 40!) in New Orleans. Brrrrr. Anyway, it was time to get to work.

Recreating soups I've eaten at restaurants or other gatherings is a favorite activity of mine, but I'd never attempted to make one that was so far back in my memory. I ate that soup at the Black-Eyed Pea when I was, let's say, 12. We'd recently moved to the Tulsa area. We're talking 1984. But after smelling the cooking bacon (I can do anything when I smell that, seriously), I remembered something else about that soup, by way of another potato memory. I ate some marvelous potato salad at Jason's Deli, about 6 years ago, wherein I tasted a familiar tang--a grassiness, if you will--that I had only ever experienced at...The Black-Eyed Pea! But this time, I was old enough, and obsessed with food enough, to know what the kicker was. Dill. Sweet, soft, licorice-y dill. I believe the potatoes of the world go best with--and indeed, deserve--the fresh featheriness of said herb. Try it. You will believe.

The bacon contributes a subtle undertone to the soup because the vegetables are cooked in its pan bits, but really dresses up the finished bowl as a crunchy garnish. The dill and bacon do not fight. They play surprisingly well together.

Potato-Cheese Soup with Bacon

6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium or large carrots, diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and diced (you can leave some pieces pretty big, because the smaller pieces will disintegrate into the soup)
4 cups chicken stock
2 to 3 cups milk
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste
optional: a few dashes of something hot, like Tabasco

Cook the bacon slices in a medium soup pot (6 or 8 quarts will work) over medium heat, until slightly crispy. Set aside and drain all but 1 tablespoon of drippings from the pot. Don't clean out the browned bits.
In the same pot with the bacon-y bits, saute the onion, carrot, and celery over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. The mixture should be starting to dry out by then.
Add the stock and chopped potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low simmer, and simmer covered for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are starting to fall apart into the stock.
Turn off the heat, stir in the milk, and add the cheese and dill.
Turn the heat back on to the lowest or next-to-lowest setting--you don't want to scorch the milk, but you want the cheese to heat up so you can tell what's up with the seasonings.
Add salt and pepper to taste (and optional hot thing). I started with about 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and went from there.
Crumble the reserved bacon and use it to top each serving.

Serves 8.

Note: We had this with a crunchy salad: baby greens, chopped pears, toasted pecans, and some croutons made from rosemary bread. Toss that with a balsamic vinaigrette, and you're set.

Totally Gobblesome

2008-12-23T21:37:00.010-06:00

So you eat the turkey, and you have some leftovers; if you're lucky, there's some meat on the bones. All the little glossies hanging out on the newstand this month will give you lots of ideas about how to use the remains of your feast, but this--this is what you should make. Turkey gumbo.

I mean no sacrilege by discussing gumbo on the soup loop. I know it's not proper to call gumbo "soup." I'm just saying. I want you to try this.

Gumbo can take all day, but it doesn't have to. Now that I live in New Orleans and have talked cooking with lots of folks, I don't feel like I'm cheating with roux from a jar. It isn't a sacrilege here. Again, I'm just saying; you can certainly make your own roux if so inclined (see the Taggert recipe, below, for instructions). And if you find turkey stock at the store, such as Kitchen Basics brand (they do make it!), you can save yourself even more time. If not, simmer your turkey carcass for 45 minutes to an hour in 6 quarts of chicken broth to "turkey" it up (or simmer the carcass in 8 quarts of water with an onion, bay leaf, a few carrots, and a few celery stalks for 3 to 4 hours to yield about 6 quarts of stock). If you simmer bones to make your stock, make sure you strain it well, through a very fine sieve, lined with cheesecloth if you have it.

Paul is an excellent gumbo cook. Every one of his gumbos has made me smile and wonder and learn about flavor building, but this turkey version--his first turkey gumbo--was the best I've ever had. We used Chuck Taggert's recipe as a starting point and adapted it according to our preferences and energy level. At our house, we enjoy throwing meaty bones into large pots and letting the meat decide when it's ready to come off, so you see a large thigh bone in the photo. Nice. Unless you have a houseful of people, freeze some. You'll have gumbo all winter.

Paul's Turkey Gumbo Yumbo

1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced into rounds about 1/2" thick
1/2 pound tasso, minced (see Notes)
1/4 cup bourbon (optional)
1 1/2 cups prepared roux, such as Savoie's
a few tablespoons of olive oil, butter, or a combination
2 onions, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
5 ribs celery, chopped
9 cloves garlic, minced
6 quarts turkey stock
about 1 pound leftover turkey, chopped, or 2-3 pounds turkey on the bone
3 dried bay leaves
Creole seasoning, to taste
2 pounds fresh okra, sliced about 1 1/2" thick (it will shrink as it cooks)
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
few dashes Tabasco, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
cooked white rice, for serving

In a large saute pan, over medium-high heat, brown the sausage and tasso for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally (you can do this without adding any oil or butter, or you can add some oil or butter, darn it, if you like). After the first five minutes, when some brown bits start to collect in the pan, we like to add a big shot of whiskey to the pan to enhance the caramelization process. It tastes nice. Drain and set aside.

In the gumbo pot (10-12 quarts), heat the roux over medium heat until it's bubbling, stirring almost constantly. This will take about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, saute the onions, scallions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in a little oil and/or butter in the pan you used to brown the sausage, just enough to soften--about 7 minutes. When the roux starts to simmer, add the vegetables to the gumbo pot and stir to coat them with roux. Add the stock and stir well. Add the sausage, tasso, turkey & bones with turkey, bay leaves, and Creole seasoning. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and let simmer about 30 minutes, tasting & adjusting the seasoning from time to time. Keep stirring the pot from the bottom so nothing starts sticking and burning.

Add the okra and simmer another 30 minutes. Add the parsley, Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste, simmering for about 15 more minutes, until it's just right. Skim off any fat that you can, and remove the bones that are just being bones at this point. You can take big bones out and remove the meat yourself if you like, but that will probably happen tomorrow on its own when you reheat it for supper.

Serve in large shallow bowls with a scoop of steaming hot rice.

Serves about 16.

Notes:

Tasso is a very smoky, spiced cured pork shoulder used as flavoring in Cajun & Creole dishes. If it's not available, substitute a suitable amount of highly flavored pork, like bacon, pancetta, or ham.

Don't be tempted to throw the backbone of the turkey into the gumbo pot. Instead, use it to make your stock, straining very well. The problem is that the vertebrae can completely come apart, making for some unwanted bone-biting while you're eating; thus, we omit the backbone from the pot of food.

You'll be sad if you don't have some good French bread to eat with this.

Passionately Regressive

2008-10-31T18:43:00.009-05:00

You know how it is: the chill of an October morning, the familiar stripes of your favorite sweater, the desire to come home from work or school and dig into a bowl of something hot and filling. This is such a bowl.

"Stuffed Peppers" was one of the first dishes I tackled after moving into my first apartment, when I was attending the University of Oklahoma. I had one cookbook then--The Betty Crocker Cookbook--and I spent hours poring over the recipes for something I felt I could manage, not having much experience in the kitchen up to that point. Ground beef? Check. Bell peppers? Fine. Rice? A little tricky, but I could try. And it worked out. It was good and, most importantly, I hadn't risked losing any pricey ingredients.

Fast-forward a few years. I don't find myself craving stuffed peppers per se, but I crave the time of the stuffed peppers--the times in your life when you're experimenting with everything, even life itself. I'm into soup now. It's time for Stuffed Pepper Soup.

I was a little skeptical of this recipe; it's so simple, after all. Could it please my decidedly adult palate? The answer's yes. The finished soup has a tomato-based broth, but it's not richly acidic like a tomato soup. You end up with a sort of brothy chili, or a stuffed pepper casserole gone swimming. Allspice was the surprise, to me--and I highly recommend it, or at least a substitution, if you don't have allspice on hand (see notes, below). The allspice pushes the flavor in the direction of the Mediterranean (think Moussaka), and the fresh basil gives the entire pot a dose of green. Rachel Ray gets kudos for this update on a classic American suburban dinner--orzo, Parmigiano, and all. Of course, she calls it a "stoup," but I'll forgive her that.

Stuffed Pepper Soup
from Just in Time by Rachel Ray

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large onion, cut into bite-size dice
3 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size dice
1 bay leaf
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup orzo (uncooked)
12 to 15 fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to pass at the table

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with the E.V.O.O. When the oil is hot, add the beef and season with salt, pepper, and the allspice. Cook the meat for 5 minutes or until browned, then add the garlic, onions, peppers, and bay leaf. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until tender. Stir in the stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. When the soup is bubbling, add the orzo and cook al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and fold in the basil. Discard the bay leaf. Serve in shallow bowls topped with some grated cheese.

Serves 4, according to her book, but it served us 7 times.

Notes: I had no allspice, so I used 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and about 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. French bread is a great go-with. A little extra heat (crushed red pepper flakes or Tabasco) works well.

Winter Whites

2008-03-09T10:33:00.008-05:00

I'm cutting it pretty close here with the title, it being Daylight Savings Time now and a warm-ish Sunday morning in Arkansas, but I know we're still in for some coldness...

That being said, I thought I'd share a method for making homemade soup out of little more than a few handfuls of dried beans. I have only two cardinal rules for bean soup: 1. start with dried beans, not canned;* 2. don't add salt until the beans are tender (or they might never become tender!).

Here's the "recipe," presented more like a guide, with all kinds of possible omissions, substitutions, and additions. Honestly, I think the simpler you keep a bean soup, the better, so think of a final flavor you'd like to have in the soup, and decide on your seasonings and ingredients before you start making it; otherwise you might end up with a sloggy jumble. The photo soup was made with great northern beans, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 3 stalks celery, 3 cloves garlic, 1 1/2 cups chopped ham, lots of black pepper, salt, a couple spoonfuls each of Worcestershire and red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoonfuls each of dried oregano, cumin, and fennel seed, and a little paprika over the top. That's it--I didn't even have a bay leaf. You can make a simple Tuscan soup with only dried cannellini, water, onions, olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Dig it.

*I don't mean to contradict myself. You've seen me use canned beans in other soups, and I'll always rely on them for their convenience. But when the whole point of the soup is the beans, I go purist, and cook them from the dry state.

Highly Adaptable White Bean Soup

Pick through and rinse 1 pound of dried great northern beans (or pintos, cannellini, red beans, black beans, or a mixture). Put them in a medium bowl and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Let them soak for 6 hours to a day.

Drain the beans and place them in a large soup pot, covering with fresh cold water by about 2 inches. Add a bay leaf and/or a ham bone (or hock or shank), or add nothing but the water. Bring to a boil over high heat; place a lid on the pot slightly ajar and reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 45 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart (there should be no "hardness" left).

While the beans are cooking, chop some vegetables: 1 yellow or white onion (or 2 leeks), a few cloves of garlic, 1 or 2 carrots, 2 or 3 stalks of celery--any basic soup vegetables you have lying around (or bell peppers, jalapeno, parsnips, or fennel). Dice the onions, slice the leeks, carrots, or celery thinly, and mince the garlic. Heat a saute pan over medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil or butter, and saute the vegetables slowly for about 15 minutes, until they're soft and fragrant.

When the beans are tender, add the vegetables to them. Check the water level--you can make the soup very thick or quite thin according to your preference; you'll just need to season it more if you have a lot of liquid. Cook the beans and vegetables together for at least 20 minutes over a medium-low heat to blend the flavors. If you've used a ham bone, this might be a good time to take it out and shred the meat off, returning the meat to the pot; or, you might want to leave it in until the meat is falling off of its own accord.

During this last 20 minutes (or so), add whatever other vegetables or meats interest you: diced cooked ham, chicken, pork, or sausage; chopped green chilis; diced tomatoes or Rotel; roasted red peppers; corn; artichoke hearts...And add some seasonings: chopped fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, or cilantro; dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil; spices like ground cumin, ground coriander, a little fennel seed, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning; Tabasco or other hot sauce; freshly ground black pepper; the rind from a chunk of Parmesan cheese; lemon or orange juice or zest; Worcestershire sauce or a splash of red wine vinegar; a dab of mustard; a pinch of sugar; salt (only if the beans aren't hard anymore, remember!).

Cook over low heat, tasting and adjusting, til it's good/great/awesome. Don't let anyone eat the bay leaf.

Depending on your additions, you should get at least 6 hearty servings from this pot.

A Little Green

2008-10-08T22:44:00.005-05:00

In honor of our nation's economic crisis and the first below-80-degree days of autumn in New Orleans, I offer you a smashing recipe for Split Pea Soup. I've made this recipe, from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, several times over the past ten years, and every time I make it, I'm astounded at how easily I forget that (a) it makes a LOT of soup for very little money, and (b) it's darn good.

This is also the kind of food that I crave after weekends filled with fried foods (it is football season, after all). You know how it is when your body aches for something un-fancy, natural, and legumed. You need some green--stat.

FAQ:
No ham? This recipe is meatless, and can be made with water instead of stock, which cuts costs considerably. I've made it before with a big ham hock thrown in at the start, with tasty results. But I honestly prefer the vegetarian version for its clear, earthy flavor.

8-qt. pot? You must have a pot that will hold at least 8 quarts of liquid to contain this recipe. Check the bottom of your pot for its capacity.

Unpeeled potatoes? Ina calls for the potatoes to be unpeeled, I think, for extra flavor and texture. I agree, but to a lesser extent. I usually use 6 potatoes and peel 3 of them.

Parker's Split Pea Soup

from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 cups diced carrots (a medium-sized dice)
2 cups diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled
2 pounds dried split green peas (sorted and rinsed)
16 cups chicken stock or water

In an 8-quart stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the carrots, potatoes, 1 1/2 pounds split peas, and stock or water. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Skim off the foam while cooking.
Add the remaining split peas and continue to simmer for another 40 minutes, or until all the peas are soft. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. Taste for salt and pepper and serve hot.

10-12 servings(!)

Lentils and Friends, or Learning to Trust the Pleasures of Simplicity

2008-02-17T14:03:00.006-06:00

There are certain dishes which, when I see their photographs and read their lists of ingredients, I'm less than excited about. Take lentils. Lentils, I know, have been eaten by humans for thousands of years, so we've had plenty of time to learn what goes well with them, how to season them, how to prepare them. And we wouldn't still be eating them if they weren't satisfying, right? In this version of lentil soup, we also have the "humble clan" of onions, carrots, celery, garlic. A little smoked sausage for flavor. I have to admit that I've been staring at this recipe in Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris for years now, and haven't been the least bit inspired to make it (although I have made several recipes from the book and have always been pleased). Haven't I learned by now that the simplest players make the best results?

Something magical happens when just the right seasonings are paired with just the right combination of time-tested ingredients. No fancy herbs or specialty equipment required; you may already have all of these ingredients in your kitchen. Invite some folks over; take turns stirring the pot while you talk and get really hungry; break off chunks of French bread (or whatever bread-y thing you have around the house) and ladle the soup over, topping with Parmesan cheese (if you have it). Ah, good. I'm so glad you did that.

Lentil Sausage Soup (adapted slightly from Barefoot in Paris)

1 pound French green lentils such as du Puy (I'm sure regular brown lentils would work well)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 large yellow onions, diced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

8 stalks celery, diced

4 carrots, diced

3 quarts (12 cups) chicken stock or broth

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 pound kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and sliced 1/3" thick

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar, or red wine)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

for serving: freshly grated Parmesan cheese, extra olive oil, bread

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot over medium-low heat, heat the oil and saute the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and tender. Don't use too high a heat or the garlic will burn.

Add the celery and carrots and saute another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender.

Add the kielbasa, vinegar, and cayenne and simmer about 5 minutes. Check for salt: depending on the saltiness of the broth, tomato paste, and sausage, you may need a lot or hardly any. Serve with a hunk of bread, drizzled with olive oil and topped with grated Parmesan.

Serves 8

The Gnocchi Diaries

2008-02-11T09:26:00.000-06:00

I'm addicted to them. I've made my own, from potatoes, flour, and salt, and they were divine, but the vacuum-packed ones you can get at groceries now are very close to homemade. Who doesn't like a little dumpling now and then?

This soup was an improv that totally worked. The beans boost the protein, so if you're eating this for a meatless supper, add them. Cooked pasta or rice could definitely stand in for gnocchi.

Mushroom-Tomato Soup with Gnocchi

1 cup chopped onion, white or yellow
3 to 4 cups sliced mushrooms (I used a combo of shiitake and white button)
a little olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
a few tablespoons of dry red or white wine, or 2 tablespoons of wine vinegar
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained, or two chopped tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
2 tablespoons prepared pesto, or some chopped basil and extra garlic
1 15-oz. can white beans (optional), rinsed and drained
1 package gnocchi
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the gnocchi.
Heat a spoonful or two of olive oil in a deep saute pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, and thyme. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Saute for about 8 minutes, until the veggies are getting soft. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes, til the pan is almost dry.
Add the wine and stir up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, broth, and pesto, stir, and bring to a gentle simmer. At this point it can simmer for 20 minutes or so as the gnocchi cooks, but keep adding broth or water if it's starting to lose too much liquid.
When the pot of water boils, add the gnocchi and cook until they float to the top, about 5 minutes. Drain and add to the mushroom mixture.
Add the white beans, if using. Taste for salt and pepper. It might be a good idea to add another spoonful of pesto at this point.
Serve in shallow bowls with Parmesan cheese grated over each serving.

Serves 3-4

Hard Squash, Soft Soup

2008-02-09T09:11:00.000-06:00

This is the most-requested soup I make...it has convinced several people to hang around my house, offering to peel, chop, fix leaky faucets, or entertain until the soup was ready to eat. It won't look pretty while it's simmering--it'll suggest a brownish, murky, apple-y stew--but once the blender does its magic, you get this lovely, sunny winter-spirit-lifting yellow. All the "work" is in the chopping; it's quite easy to finish once everything's in the pot. You'll get a chance at the end to perfect your salting skills.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

1 large leek, dark green tops discarded, rinsed well and sliced thinly

5 cloves garlic, chopped

a little vegetable or olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 6 cups)

1 pound Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped (3 to 4 cups)

6 cups water

1/3 cup whipping cream

salt & pepper

chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

Heat the oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the leek, garlic, cumin, curry, and cayenne, and saute for a few minutes to soften. Add the squash, apples, and water to the pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes, until the squash is very tender. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor (be careful of hot liquid splatters), or in the pot with an immersion blender. Stir in the cream and heat gently, without boiling. Add some salt and pepper: I start with a teaspoon and a half of salt. You'll need to add salt gradually and taste after each addition until it reaches its prime flavor. This soup has the ability to be the most flavor-licious pot of goodness you've ever tasted, but you have to trust that the salt will get it there. Be earnest with it.

Makes about 10 cups.

Stock Matters.

2007-09-16T12:51:00.000-05:00

This little guy can make a big difference in your life.

I cooked at home for years before I made my own stock. It just didn't seem like something worth my time. I could buy chicken broth by the carton...what's the difference? I imagined aproned grandmothers puttering between their steaming stoves and pots of petunias all day--not my scene. But then I finally broke down and made a chicken stock, just to experience it, just to try it out. And I can honestly say it improved my food so much that I'm ashamed of myself when I resort to using canned broth for lack of homemade stock in the freezer. Shame on us all for not making more stock!

It's not just that homemade stock's flavor beats canned; you can manipulate the flavor of your own homemade stock the way you can't possibly manipulate a pre-made product. For instance, if you're going to be using the stock in a Vietnamese dish, you might want to add a little cilantro, if you catch my drift. If you love garlic, you might want to toss in a few cloves (or heads). And you can control the quality of your food better. You'll know, because you paid for it, the quality of the chicken you use. If you're down with Tyson, that's your business; I go for something a little more organic. I don't put "scraps" in my stock, as some recipes or cooks will suggest. Basically, I don't put anything in it that I wouldn't eat...and I don't eat onion skins. Another major difference between homemade and canned is the gelatin factor. "Broth" doesn't have the natural gelatin that a stock, made from water-simmered bones, has. You know you have no gelatin in your broth when you refrigerate it and it doesn't "set" into some sort of savory jello-like consistency. And gelatin is what adds the natural body (read: yumminess) to a stock, which in turn adds natural body to your soup, stew, sauce, or whatever you're using it in.

Stock recipes abound; just about every cookbook I've ever seen has a recipe in it for light chicken stock. (FYI, I'm talking light chicken stock here; we're not roasting the bones for a dark chicken stock today. Stay tuned for that one.) I'm including my own procedure, but it's just a starting point. Fiddle around until you find your ideal combination.

Light Chicken Stock

1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds), giblets removed, rinsed

2 carrots, scraped and halved

2 stalks celery, cut crosswise into thirds (including leaves)

1 onion, peeled and halved

10 sprigs parsley

3 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Put all of the ingredients in a medium to large stockpot and cover the chicken with cold water (about 3 quarts of water should do it). Over medium heat, bring the water to a low simmer; this will take about 40 minutes. During the first 20 minutes or so of simmering, skim off the foam that rises to the top. Simmer uncovered very slowly (i.e., barely-bubbling) for about 3 to 4 hours, or until the liquid is the flavor you like. Discard the big solids, like the chicken and bones, onions, etc. Line a sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth (you can buy this at Target in the gadget aisle) and pour the stock through it into a large bowl or another pot. Discard everything you catch in the cheesecloth. Refrigerate the stock for 5 to 6 hours (or overnight), to give the fat a chance to rise and solidify on the top. Once the fat is solidified, you can take the stock out of the fridge and scoop the fat off with a spoon, discarding it. Then, pack the stock into smaller, recipe-sized containers (usually 2 or 3 cups) and freeze up to 6 months, or refrigerate up to 4 days.

I usually get 2 1/2 quarts of stock from this recipe.

Note: you'll want to let the stock come to room temperature before you measure it for use in recipes. It really does set up.

Top 5 Summer Soups

2007-08-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

A friend recently suggested the subject for this post...in Arkansas, in August, the heat produced by braising and stewing just isn't an option (at least not in my barely-air-conditioned apartment). The nice thing about summer soups is that several of them require no cooking at all. Of course, you want to get the most organic, natural produce you can to prepare these, since there won't be any "cooking off" of chemicals. Another reason to have your own garden, or visit the Farmer's Market.

1. Gazpacho

This soup wins, hands-down. Gazpacho is such a customizable soup, I think there's a version everyone will love. It can be chunky or smooth, spicy or mild, tomato-heavy or tomato-free. Traditionally it must contain bread, olive oil, and something acidic. That's it! These days it's synonymous with cold tomato soup. Part of its appeal is its ability to use up vegetables that seem to overrun some gardens this time of year (tomatoes, cucumbers, red bell peppers). But there are many other versions--check here for a ton of recipes and variations.

2. Cucumber Soup

A beautiful, simple, cooling soup that requires no cooking. Very healthy, too, when made with yogurt. This is a great accompaniment to spicy Asian flavors--a nice palate soother. Most recipes call for a basic puree of cucumbers, yogurt, and an herb (mint, parsley, basil, etc.) and add their own individual touches for variety. Fruit, avocado, buttermilk, jalapeno, wasabi...there are all kinds of options.

3. Summer Borscht

Read as: chilled borscht. Borscht, a traditional Russian peasant soup, has two versions. The cold-weather version usually includes stewed beef and cabbage in addition to beets. The warm-weather version is meatless, and spotlights sweet summer beets. It can be chunky or pureed; I love the pureed versions with sour cream...I rarely get a chance to eat bright pink food!

4. Yellow Pepper Soup

This one might not be as well-known, but I love its ability to use an item you can't get as easily in any other season. You can always buy roasted red peppers in a jar...but how often do you get sweet, inexpensive, beautiful yellow peppers? The finished soup is a vivid sunshine yellow with a bright green garnish, and can be served either hot or cold.

Yellow Pepper Soup with Cilantro Puree
(from The All-New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook)

Soup:
1 teaspoon butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped fennel bulb
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 1/4 cups chopped yellow bell pepper
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
1 cup cubed peeled red potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Puree:
1/3 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine) (you could also use sake here)
1 teaspoon canola oil
dash of salt

2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream

To prepare soup, melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel, and saute 3 minutes. Add curry, ginger, and garlic; saute 1 minute. Stir in white wine; cook 1 minute. Add bell pepper, broth, apple, potato, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Cool.
Place half of soup in a blender; process until smooth. Pour into a bowl. Repeat with remaining soup. Chill at least 2 hours. Stir in lemon juice.
To prepare puree, place peas, cilantro, 3 tablespoons broth, mirin, and canola oil in a blender; process until smooth.
Ladle soup into bowls. Add 3 dollops of puree on top of each serving. Using the tip of a knife, drag and swirl each dollop of puree into a "V" or other shape. Dollop creme fraiche in center of each serving.

Yield: 6 (3/4 cup) servings

5. Fruit Soup

That's a vague title, but I think we must include the fruits of summer. Plums, peaches, melons, cherries, strawberries, blueberries...I could go on. Mostly these are for dessert, but they can work as appetizers, cheese course components, or even drinks. Here's another recipe from Cooking Light that's easy and different. They recommend serving it with an herb cheese (such as Boursin) and crackers.

Strawberry-Champagne Soup

5 cups quartered strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

cracked black pepper (optional) (I would definitely include it)

Place strawberries in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and salt; toss well. Place strawberry mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Cover mixture and chill 2 hours.
Stir in champagne. Sprinkle servings with a little black pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 (1 cup) servings

It's August. It's raining. It's time for chowder.

2007-08-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

So here's what had to happen today: corn chowder. It makes great use of some of my favorite summer ingredients (sweet corn, red bell pepper, sweet onions, smooth potatoes, and basil) and it's pretty economical. Instead of using bacon for traditional smokiness, I used smoked cheddar for smokiness. It was surprisingly different. The slight sweetness of the basil works well with the cheese, I think.

Corn Chowder with Basil and Smoked Cheddar
(adapted from "Jalapeno Corn Chowder" by Paulette Mitchell)

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 russet or all-purpose potatoes, peeled & diced
corn kernels cut from 3 ears of corn (about 2 cups)
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil (1 teaspoon dried)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup grated smoked cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, carrot, and garlic, and saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the broth, potatoes, and corn; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the basil. Turn off the heat. If you have an immersion blender, add the milk, and partially blend the soup, leaving some texture according to your preference. If you have a standing blender, transfer 2 cups of soup to the blender, add the milk, and puree. Return the puree to the soup pot afterwards. Still off-heat, stir in the grated cheddar cheese. Return the soup to a servable temperature over a very low flame. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (I add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper).

This'll serve 4 regular people or 2-3 super-hungry people. Easy to multiply the recipe, though.

one of my favorite books

2007-08-15T10:11:00.000-05:00

I love this book by Paulette Mitchell. It's all soup (well, plus a few accompaniments at the back) and all vegetarian. I'm not a vegetarian, and occasionally I sneak some bacon or a hambone into one of her soups. But all the ones I've tried are great. She does great things with garnishes. "Pear and Gouda Soup with Toasted Walnut-Cranberry Salsa" is a recipe whose title always makes me happy. The recipe appears below. I think the salsa would also be great on vanilla ice cream. Better yet, add a little onion and a minced jalapeno and try it over roasted pork. I bet a sandwich made with the salsa and pork would be un-terrible.

Pear and Gouda Soup with Toasted Walnut-Cranberry Salsa

soup:
2 ripe pears, cored, peeled, and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

salsa:
1/2 unpeeled red-skinned pear, cored and julienned
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dried cranberries
dash of freshly grated nutmeg

to complete the recipe:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
4 ounces baby Gouda cheese, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup pure apple juice or sweet white wine such as Sauternes
salt and ground white pepper to taste
freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

To make the soup, combine the pears, stock, ginger, and nutmeg in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the pears are very tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To make the salsa, stir together all the salsa ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
To complete the recipe: in a separate small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth, about 1 minute. (Do not let it brown.) Remove from the heat. Gradually whisk in the milk. Place the pan back on medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and stir contantly until thickened, about 4 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Puree the pear mixture in a blender until smooth. Add to the cheese sauce and stir constantly over low heat until heated through. Gradually stir in the apple juice and continue to heat, but do not let the soup come to a boil. Season to taste.
Top each serving with a sprinkling of nutmeg and a mound of salsa.

Paulette recommends making this soup and salsa just before serving; in other words, leftovers aren't the best way to enjoy this.

first day on the blog

2007-08-14T12:56:00.000-05:00

Welcome to The Soup Loop, my brand new beautiful blog. The title refers to my obsession with making soup, eating soup, and reading soup cookbooks. But that's not all that interests me. Check back often for the rest of the story.