A Little Green

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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(!)

Rooted in Fiber

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

1. 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.
2. Add the stock, cover partially, and simmer until the vegetables are completely softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. 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.
4. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish each serving with an orange slice and a sprig of mint.
   
   serves 4-6

Winter Whites

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.

The Gnocchi Diaries

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

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the gnocchi.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Serve in shallow bowls with Parmesan cheese grated over each serving.

Serves 3-4

Hard Squash, Soft Soup

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.

one of my favorite books

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

1. 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.
2. To make the salsa, stir together all the salsa ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.