Leite's Culinaria» soups

Congee | Jok Plaw

David Thompson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:45:39 +0000

David Thompson | Thai Street Food | Ten Speed, 2011 | Serves 4 to 6

This is a gentle and comforting congee that heals and salves the soul. All is forgiven or forgotten after eating this suave silken potage. It is eaten for supper, a dinner alone or occasionally for breakfast. It is especially kind to those who are feeling unwell.

The congee must simmer very, very gently, and it should not be too thick or dry–you may need to add more water as it cooks. Once done, it’s ready to use as a base for other, more complex congees. [Editor's Note: And by "complex congees," the author means those to which any number of things have been stirred in, whether scallion and cracked black pepper and a dash of soy sauce and a raw egg stirred in just before serving, as in the photo above, or shredded pork and and black pepper or shredded chicken and ginger or a sprinkling of peanuts or, well, just about anything, really.] Plain congee is really invalids’ food, but Thais and Chinese love its bland taste and easy-to-digest texture. Please note, many Chinese congee recipes use chicken stock in place of water. You can do that if you please. I suggest watering it down slightly if it’s a rich broth–David Thompson

LC Breaking Down Broken Rice Note: We’re going to borrow author David Thompson’s definition of broken rice, which is, as he says, “simply the grains of rice that break and shatter during the milling process.” In the eyes of some, these broken kernels are damaged goods, separated from the whole grains, as it can no longer be used to make steamed rice. Thompson explains further, saying “the starch spills out of the broken grains as they cook, making a gluggy, gluey mass. Terrible for steamed rice, but wonderful for soup! Some Thai cooks prefer new season’s rice for congee, saying it makes a more supple soup, while others incline to old grains, saying it has more character and aroma. I plump for the latter. Broken rice is easily bought in Thailand, and is usually available in Chinese grocery shops. It is also very easy to make: just lightly grind or pound the required amount.” If you just don’t have it in you to trek to Chinatown or pound rice, you can still partake of congee. Just use regular whole-grain rice and simmer it a little longer.

Active time: 5 minutes | Total time: 2 hours, not including soaking.

Congee Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

2 cups broken rice (about 1 pound)
8 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Shredded ginger root
Freshly cracked black pepper
Thinly sliced scallions
Cilantro
Chopped peanuts

Directions

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1. Rinse the rice well and drain it. Soak it in plenty of cold water for 2 to 3 hours–no longer or the cooked congee will be a thin, dull gruel with no perfume.

2. In a large, heavy pan, bring the water to a boil with the salt. Drain the rice and gradually pour it into the boiling water, stirring gently and constantly as the rice returns to a boil. (If the uncooked rice sticks to the pan and scorches, your congee will be ruined.)

3. When the rice begins to swell, turn down the heat to very low, cover with a lid, and simmer as gently as possible, stirring regularly and adding more water if needed, until the rice grains have almost dissolved, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (If you didn’t use broken or pounded rice, you’ll need to cook it for somewhere around twice as long. You may also need to add a little extra water if the rice absorbs so much water that the congee loses its soupy consistency.)

4. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside for a short spell or up to a few hours. Ladle into bowls and pass the ginger root, black pepper, scallions, cilantro, and peanuts on the side for each person to add as they desire.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup from Steamy Kitchen
Bee Thai Bak from Rasa Malaysia
Thai Hot and Sour Soup from Leite’s Culinaria
Pho Bo from Leite’s Culinaria

Cincinnati Chili

Ellie Krieger — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:00:45 +0000

Ellie Krieger | Comfort Food Fix | Wiley, 2011 | Serves 4

In Cincinnati they heat things up with heaping bowls of chili cooked until practically melted, with additions such as warm spices like cinnamon, cocoa powder, allspice, and cloves, and a touch of sweet molasses. Served over spaghetti and topped with hearty beans, cheese, and onion, it’s like no chili you have had before, but definitely one you’ll make over and over again.–Ellie Krieger

LC Three Way, Four Way, Five Way, Oh My! Note: Are we all familiar with Cincinnati-style chili? This unique and saucy take on chili is traditionally and ubiquitously plopped atop spaghetti and, if you please, glopped with Cheddar cheese, red onions, and/or beans. Mind you, there’s proper Cincinnati chili terminology to describe exactly how you like yours…

Two Way: Chili plopped on spaghetti

Three Way: Chili plopped on spaghetti and smothered with cheese

Four Way: Chili plopped on spaghetti and smothered with cheese and diced red onions or beans

Five Way: Chili plopped on spaghetti and smothered with cheese, diced red onions, and beans

One last thing. While this rendition is made with ground turkey, which is hardly traditional, you can’t really tell the difference. Honestly. We’re not going to stop you, though, from making it with ground beef. As if we could stop you…

Active time: 30 minutes | Total time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.

Cincinnati Chili Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground turkey
2 green bell peppers, diced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened natural cocoa
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
One 15-ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce
One 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with their juices
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
1 bay leaf
8 ounces spaghetti, preferably whole-grain, cooked according to package directions
1 cup canned kidney beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup grated, lightly packed extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
4 teaspoons finely diced red onion

Directions

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1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into small pieces, until just cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the bell peppers and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the chili powder, cocoa, paprika, cumin, oregano (if using), cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes with their juice, water, molasses, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered, until the mixture has thickened considerably but is still somewhat soupy, about 2 hours.

4. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Serve the chili over the spaghetti, topped with the kidney beans, cheese, and diced red onion.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Drunken Texas Chili from The Paupered Chef
Pumpkin Turkey Chili from Love and Olive Oil
Black and White Chicken Chili from Leite’s Culinaria
Turkey and White Bean Chili from Leite’s Culinaria

Game Day Chili

Whitney Miller — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:10:55 +0000

Whitney Miller | Modern Hospitality | Rodale, 2011 | Serves 6

Who doesn’t love a homemade bowl of warming, stick-to-your ribs chili? I like to make this recipe on a Saturday or Sunday during football season when the air turns crisp. A big pot of chili makes for a great tailgating menu item. When serving it at home, I like to set out little bowls of toppings so my guests can make their own creations.–Whitney Miller

LC Girling It Up With Game Day Chili Note: No one needs to tell you that chili is hardly just guy food. But it can seem even girlier, er, more ladylike than you’d ever imagined when you serve in diminutive, floral tea cups, just as in the photo above. We like to do this when serving it to guys, just to see if they’ll raise their pinkies as they tuck into it. Hee hee hee.

Active time: 35 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.

Game Day Chili Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

For the chili

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups reduced-sodium beef stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
5 garlic cloves, minced
salt, if desired
1 pound ground beef
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
3 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, thinly sliced

For the toppings

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 container (16 ounces) sour cream
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

Make the chili

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1. Heat the canola oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Dredge the meat in 2 tablespoons of the flour. Add to the pot and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until the beef is almost tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic, and salt, if desired, and cook 1 minute longer. (Here’s the deal with the salt: The chili arguably doesn’t need any, given all the chili and spice, though if you’re sort of a salt whore, you’ll miss it’s presence if you do without.) Add the ground beef to the pan and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Spoon the fat from the pan and discard.

3. When the stew meat has cooked for 30 minutes, add the ground beef and vegetables. Add both kinds of beans, the diced tomatoes and their jucies, and the chipotle peppers. Gently simmer on low heat for 45 minutes to meld the flavors. Stir occasionally to make sure the chili doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Assemble the toppings

4. Place all of the toppings in individual bowls to pass at the table. Ladle the chili into bowls or mugs and let everyone help themselves to the toppings.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Smoky Turkey Chili with Chipotle Peppers, & Black & White Beans from Cookin Canuck
Cornbread-Chili Casserole from Dorie Greenspan
Uncle D’s Chili from Leite’s Culinaria
Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chili from Leite’s Culinaria

Carrot and Lentil Soup

Anjum Andand — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:00:35 +0000

Anjum Andand | Eat Right for Your Body Type | Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2011 | Serves 2 generously

A delicious, vibrant soup that’s sweet but also savory. The lentils give the soup body, protein, and fiber, as well as minerals. Carrots are a fantastic vegetable and are great for warming up various constitutions, especially when eaten in the cooler months. This is typical of an Ayurvedic soup as it’s light and nourishing—the simpler the food, the easier it is to digest. Eat as an appetizer or stir in some cooked rice for a more substantial meal.–Anjum Andand

LC What the Heck’s Ayurveda (and How do I Pronounce It, Please)? Note: Okay. Here’s our terribly oversimplified attempt at explaining Ayurveda (pronounced aa-yur-VAY-dah. It’s an ancient medical tradition in Indian culture, and it’s founded on the principle that there are three basic body types, or, if you will, constitutions–vata, pitta, and kapha. Certain dietary and lifestyle choices either bring you into balance or bump you further out of balance. Scoff if you will, but it’s been around a heck of a lot longer than any of us—five millennia at last count. Book after book has been written on the topic, and a simple Google search will turn up countless little quizzes you can take to find out your body type and how to take what Ayurvedic practitioners refer to as “intelligent action” in your life. Don’t know about you, but we could sure use some more intelligence in our lives. What are you waiting for?

Active time: 20 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes.

Carrot and Lentil Soup Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

1 1/2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons ghee or vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger, depending on how zingy you like things
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
11 ounces carrots (that’s 3 to 5 smallish or slender carrots), peeled and thickly sliced
2 tablespoons red lentils, washed
2 3/4 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or 1/2 teaspoon vegetable bouillon stock powder dissolved in 2 3/4 cups water
Handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

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1. Heat the ghee or oil in a small nonstick saucepan. Add the onion and cook gently until golden, then add the ginger and garlic and stir for 40 to 60 seconds. Add the coriander, cumin, and salt and pepper and stir for 20 seconds. Add the carrots, lentils, and stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Take the pan off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree it or set aside for at least 10 minutes and then puree it in a blender. If the consistency is too thick for your liking, just add a little water and blitz again.

3. Reheat over low heat, taste, and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Serve topped with cilantro.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

White Lentil Soup with Chorizo and Paprika Cream from La Tartine Gourmande
Carrot, Apple and Ginger Soup from Joy the Baker
Rustic Lentil Soup from Leite’s Culinaria
Carrot Soup with Chicken and Thyme from Leite’s Culinaria

Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chili

Cara Eisenpress | Phoebe Lapine — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:00:46 +0000

In the Small Kitchen | William Morrow, 2011 | Serves 10

To turn this chili into a full buffet party, follow a few easy steps. Bake a pan or two of cornbread. Set up bowls of garnishes (avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges) on a countertop, preferably near the stove. Place bowls, spoons, and napkins next to the pot of chili. Have people load up.–Cara Eisenpress | Phoebe Lapine

LC You Complete Me Note: Nothing complements and completes a bowl of chili like, well, the aforementioned garnishes and side of cornbread, for starters. But let’s not overlook a few other sides, or actually bottoms, given that our tendency is to bury them beneath a ladleful of chili goodness. Tortilla chips. Steaming hot baked potatoes. Rice. Polenta. Fresh tortillas. To say nothing of a cold beer on the side. Are we missing anything?

Active time: 45 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Smoky Chipotle Vegetarian Chili Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

For the chili
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large sweet onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, (if unavailable, double on red), chopped
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
3 cloves garlic
Stems from 1 bunch of cilantro, (leaves reserved for garnish)
One 7-ounce can mild green chiles
2 or 3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 cups vegetable stock
Three 15-ounce cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Two 15-ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
One 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 bottle dark Mexican beer, (Negra Modelo if you can find it)
For the Garnishes
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh cilantro
8 ounces sour cream
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 limes, cut into thin wedges
2 avocados, seeded, peeled, diced, and tossed with lime juice

Directions

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Make the chili
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and sauté until they’re beginning to caramelize, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, combine the garlic cloves, cilantro stems, green chiles, and chipotle chiles in a small food processor and process until minced. Add 1⁄2 cup of the stock and pulse to combine or stir together in a bowl.
4. Add the chile mixture and the tomatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the beans, salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano, beer, and the remaining 11⁄2 cups stock. Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the chili thickens and the vegetables soften, about 30 minutes.
Serve the chili
5. Remove the pot of chili from the heat and plonk it on another burner, the countertop, or the table. Place each garnish in a bowl and call your guests. (The chili is best if made the night before and rewarmed gently over low heat. It can keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.)

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Chili with Chocolate from David Lebovitz
Turkey Chili from Over the Hill and on a Roll
Black and White Chicken Chili from Leite's Culinaria
Uncle D's Chili from Leite's Culinaria

Spanish Gazpacho

Claudia Roden — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:16:03 +0000

Claudia Roden | The Food of Spain | Ecco, 2011 | Serves 4 to 6

Spanish gazpacho is the best thing to have on a hot day in the summer when tomatoes are sweet and full of flavor. It was born in the province of Seville, where tomatoes were first grown in Spain. It was the meal agricultural laborerers made when they worked in vegetable gardens. They brought with them a dornillo (large wooden mortar and pestle) to pound the ingredients that grew on the spot, some olive oil, salt, and vinegar, and bread. Years ago when I went to Spain, the gazpacho was pounded by hand in the old way and the result was like a finely chopped and mashed salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Nowadays gazpachos are pureed in a food processor or blender.

There are many gazpacho recipes. My friend Manolo makes his with just tomatoes, garlic, and his own olive oil and vinegar. He makes quantities that he pours into large Coca-Cola bottles so that he and his sister and any friends who happen to be around can have some at any time of the day. I have used the following gazpacho recipe for years. I do not peel the tomatoes—if you use a food processor, the skin all but disappears. You can make this hours in advance, even the day before. If it is a very hot day, add an ice cube to each bowl when you serve. The garnish is optional. In Andalusia, they use green bell pepper because they like the peppery taste, but I like it with the sweet red pepper.–Claudia Roden

LC Got Gazpacho? Note: As Claudia Roden explains above, there’s no limit to the variations on this classic—or, we’d like to add, the manners in which you can serve it. Freshly made or from the fridge. Slurped from a bowl, whether alone for lunch or at a sit-down dinner with family or friends. Sipped from a shot glass or a tea cup as an hors d’oeuvre. Or however you please—perhaps, on those days when it’s not too hot to turn on the stove, even accompanied by a simple manchego quesadilla cut into wedges, a summertime riff on hot tomato soup with grilled cheese.

Active time: 15 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes, not including chilling.

Spanish Gazpacho Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

For the gazpacho

1 thick slice white bread, crusts removed
2 1/4 pounds ripe plum tomatoes
1 red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 4 pieces
2 to 3 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or wine vinegar, or more to taste
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, or more to taste

For the optional garnishes

1/2 cucumber, finely diced
1/2 red onion or 4 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 red or green bell pepper, finely diced
1 to 2 slices of white bread, cut into small cubes and lightly toasted

Directions

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1. Dry the slice of bread under the broiler, turning it once, without browning it. Break it up into pieces.

2. Quarter the tomatoes and remove the hard white bits at the stem end.

3. Blend the bell pepper to a paste in a food processor. Add the rest of the soup ingredients and blend to a light cream. Add a little cold water if necessary to thin the gazpacho—about 1/2 to 2/3 cup. Pour into a serving bowl and chill in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for at least an hour or up to a day.

4. Check the seasoning, and serve the gazpacho in soup bowls, accompanied, if you like, by the garnishes. Pass them around, each on a separate little plate or in four piles in a large serving plate.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Watermelon Strawberry Gazpacho from Delicious Days
Chunky Spanish Gazpacho from Poor Girl Eats Well
Green Gazpacho from Leite’s Culinaria
Yellow Gazpacho from Leite’s Culinaria

New England Bouillabaisse for One

Judith Jones — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:35:59 +0000

Judith Jones | The Pleasures of Cooking for One | Knopf, 2009 | Serves 1

This mock bouillabaisse is so scrumptious that you would never know it had anything “left over” in it. You do have to stop and pick up a dozen or so fresh mussels and a few clams the day you’re making it, but otherwise everything else is at hand, and you can put this together in half an hour. I am assuming, of course, that you have a good fish stock in your freezer; if not, plan to make this after you’ve had a lobster or a supper of steamed mussels and have some of that intense lobster or mussel broth left. Otherwise use clam juice, diluted by half with water because it is quite strong.—Judith Jones

LC I Beg Your Pardon, What’s Pistou? Note: Pistou, a term which Ms. Jones bandies about easily but without explanation, means slightly different things to different folks. It came to be in Provence, in the South of France, where basil grows abundantly, its fragrance and flavor a classic and omnipresent accompaniment to almost everything. The condiment is simply basil pounded with garlic and olive oil in a mortar and pestle and served as a dollop on a soup or a spread on bread, although should you not happen to have any basil, Ms. Jones offers an alternate condiment, one that’s pictured above and is equally French. “If you don’t have any pistou on hand or time to make it, try mashing to a paste a small clove of garlic and a little salt, and then mixing that in with a tablespoon of mayonnaise. Whisk in a few pinches of paprika and a dash of hot pepper. Purists would not approve, but you can cheat a little when you’re by yourself. Nobody is looking.” There you have it.

Active time: 10 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes.

New England Bouillabaisse Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 cups fish broth (see headnote)
A few fresh parsley stems
Pinch of fennel seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 or 5 small clams
1 dozen mussels
A piece of freshly cooked or leftover cooked fish, whether white fish or salmon (about 4 ounces)
A sprinkling of chopped parsley
2 slices French bread, toasted
A generous dollop of pistou (see LC I Beg Your Pardon, What’s Pistou? Note above)

Directions

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1. Heat the oil in a medium pot, and sauté the onion and garlic gently until softened.

2. Add the tomato, sauté another minute, then pour in the fish stock and seasonings, tasting to judge how much salt and pepper you need. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

3. Add the clams. If you’re using fresh fish, slip that into the pot now. Clams always take longer than mussels, so give the clams a few minutes before adding the mussels. If you’re using leftover cooked fish, slip that into the pot now along with the mussels. Cook until the shellfish opens. Discard any that do not open.

4. Sprinkle the parsley over the bouillabaisse and sit down to it with a couple of slices of toasted French bread spread with pistou.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Seafood Stew with Lobster, Scallops and Clams from Stephens Cooks
Cioppino from No Recipes
Portuguese Bread Soup with Jumbo Shrimp from Leite’s Culinaria
Saffron Mussel Stew from Leite’s Culinaria

Chilled Tomato Soup with Aged Feta and Olives

Darryl Estrine | Kelly Kochendorfer — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:35:47 +0000

Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer | Harvest to Heat | Taunton Press, 2010 | Serves 6

For this chilled tomato soup, we use a variety of tomatoes when available, perhaps Cherokee Purple, Aunt Ruby’s, and Green Zebra. Sun Golds, a little cherry tomato, are a favorite garnish. The feta and olives add the extra salt needed to bring out the pure tomato flavor. –Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer

LC Um, Isn’t This Just Gazpacho? Note: Nope, this most certainly is not gazpacho. It’s more complex in terms of taste—though not at all complicated to make—and calls for cooking as well as some ingredients not common to gazpacho. It does, however, have the same soothing, chilling effect as that other chilled tomato soup on all those who partake.

Active time: 35 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, not including chilling.

Chilled Tomato Soup with Aged Feta and Olives Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, preferably Sun Golds or other heirlooms, cored, plus more for garnish (Romas will work in a pinch)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup thickly sliced leek, white part only (1 small leek)
1/4 cup diced fresh fennel bulb
1/4 cup diced celery
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
Bouquet garni (2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 2 sprigs fresh basil tied together with butcher’s or kitchen twine)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, preferably homemade
Hot sauce to taste
Celery salt to taste
Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/3 cup feta cheese, preferably barrel aged, crumbled
1/3 cup black Taggiasche (Ligurian) or Niçoise olives, pitted and roughly chopped
12 fresh basil leaves, julienned

Directions

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1. To make the chilled tomato soup, bring a large pot of water to a boil. With a sharp knife, make an “X” in the bottom of each tomato. Plunge the tomatoes into the water and cook for 1 minute. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Using your fingertips, slip off and discard the skins and remove the seeds. Roughly chop the tomatoes and place them in a bowl along with their juices.

2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, fennel, celery, red pepper, garlic, and bouquet garni. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the tomato paste, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken or vegetable broth, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and their juices, return to a boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold, 1 to 2 hours.

3. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Purée the soup in a food processor or blender, working in batches if necessary, until smooth. (You’ll have about 7 cups.) Season to taste with hot sauce, celery salt, and salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve. (The soup will keep in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to a few days.)

4. To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls or one large serving bowl and garnish with the feta, olives, basil, a few chopped tomatoes or halved Sun Gold tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Chilled Strawberry Soup from Macheesmo
Chilled Pea Soup with Mint-Infused Vanilla Häagen-Dazs from Seduction Meals
Cantaloupe Soup with Prosciutto-Mozzarella Sandwiches from Leite’s Culinaria
Yellow Gazpacho and Ratatouille from Leite’s Culinaria

Roasted Tomato Soup

Ann Gentry — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 03:35:37 +0000

Vegan Family Meals | Andrews McMeel, 2011 | Serves 6 to 8

From Roma to cherry to beefsteak, any kind of tomato can be used to make this soup. You can play around with the colors of the tomatoes, too. Look for heirloom varieties at your local farmers’ market: They might be red, orange, yellow, purple, even green.–Ann Gentry

LC This is So Not Gazpacho Note: Given its deep, robust taste, texture, and tint, this recipe is the antithesis of gazpacho—or any chilled tomato soup, for that matter. But don’t take our word for it…

Active time: 20 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

For the soup
4 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
12 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 teaaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 small red onions, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup lightly packed chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
5 cups cold water
For the optional herbed croutons
1/2 loaf crusty French bread (about 8 ounces), crust removed, cut into 1/2-inch cube
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

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Make the soup
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
2. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the vinegar, garlic, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and the black pepper. Transfer the tomato mixture (including all of its liquid) to a large, heavy rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer, skin side down. Roast until the tomatoes are charred on the edges, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly. Slip the skins off the tomatoes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions are quite soft, about 10 minutes. Add the basil, parsley, and sage and sauté for about 1 minute.
4. Stir in the roasted tomatoes and garlic along with all the accumulated juices from the baking sheet and bring to a simmer. Add the water and simmer gently just until the flavors meld, about 8 minutes. If a smoother consistency is desired, blend all or a portion of the soup with an immersion or standing blender.
Make the croutons
5. While the soup simmers, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Toss the bread cubes, basil, dill, rosemary, black pepper, and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle the oil over the herbed bread cubes and toss to coat. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the croutons are golden brown, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
6. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with some of the croutons, if you please, and serve. (This soup is best eaten the day it is made, but it can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. To rewarm, bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adding water to thin the soup to the desired consistency.)

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Ribollita from The Kitchn
Roasted Tomato and Vegetable Soup from For the Love of Cooking
Green Spring Soup of Spinach, Lettuce adn Sorrel from Leite's Culinaria
Portuguese Bread Soup with Shrimp from Leite's Culinaria

Green Gazpacho

Yotam Ottolenghi — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 02:20:54 +0000

Yotam Ottolenghi | Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi | Chronicle, 2011 | Serves 6 to 8

There are a million recipes around for gazpacho, which is by far my favorite cold soup. This one, a green gazpacho recipe, is loosely based on tarator, a cold yogurt and cucumber soup from the Balkans. A proper free-standing blender works best here, but an immersion blender could also be used. –Yotam Ottolenghi

LC Summer Detox Note: Go ahead, have your beer-soaked brats and your burgers on the grill. This recipe makes amends. And in a gloriously light, creamy, green—albeit not an icky green—way.

Active time: 25 minutes Total time: 35 minutes

Green Gazpacho Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

For the croutons

2 thick slices sourdough bread
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

For the soup

2 celery stalks (including the leaves)
2 small green bell peppers, stemmed and seeded
1 1/4 pounds cucumbers, peeled and, if desired, seeded
3 slices stale white bread, crusts removed
1 fresh green chile, such as a jalapeno, seeded (or less if you don’t want it too hot)
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups walnuts, lightly toasted
6 cups baby spinach (about 5 ounces)
1 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
About 2 cups water
9 ounces ice cubes
2 teaspoons salt
White pepper to taste

Directions

Make the croutons

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Cut the bread into 3/4-inch cubes and toss them on a baking sheet with the oil and a bit of salt. Spread in a single layer and bake until the croutons turn golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Make the green gazpacho

3. Roughly chop the celery, bell peppers, cucumbers, bread, chile, and garlic. Place these in a large bowl along with the sugar, walnuts, spinach, basil, parsley, vinegar, oil, yogurt, 1 1/2 cups of the water, half the ice cubes, the salt and some white pepper. Working in batches, blitz the soup in a blender until smooth, pouring each batch into a bowl and stirring to combine at the end. If desired, add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup water, a little at a time, to get your preferred consistency. Taste the soup and adjust the ingredients accordingly. If desired, pour a little of the soup back into the blender and add the remaining ice and pulse once or twice, just to crush it a little. Stir this into the rest of the gazpacho.

4. Serve the green gazpacho at once, ladling it into bowls and a few croutons and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

Hungry for more? Chow down on these:

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup from Pinch My Salt
Chilled Avocado Cucumber Soup from In Good Taste
Gazpacho from Leite’s Culinaria
Chilled Spring Pea Soup from Leite’s Culinaria