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Beethoven said “only the pure of heart can make a good soup.” These are lovely words to muse upon, especially when purchasing ingredients for soup. Sometimes one ingredient will inspire me to simmer a pot or a restaurant experience was so deliciously indulgent, I try to recreate the recipe at home.
Several months ago, on a whim, I purchased a package of organic vegetable stock at Trader Joe’s. One cold evening, while rummaging through my fridge and freezer, I decided to make vegetable soup with it. I had an odd array of items including six Brussels sprouts, half a bag of baby spinach leaves and several red bliss potatoes, along with my usual stash of shallots, onions, carrots and celery. One large, ripe, plum tomato joined forces with a can of white kidney beans and fresh parsley and bay leaves. (If you happen upon fresh bay leaves, buy them. They keep weeks in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. I found them at Iovine Brothers in the Reading Terminal Market.)
A recent meal at Garces Trading Co. was pure bliss. A bowl of vichyssoise prepared with leeks, fingerling potatoes, bacon and scallops was so sinful I played with the recipe at home.
A package of frozen shu mei propelled me into Asian territory. These dumplings sometimes are vegetarian or are filled with shrimp and chicken. I found some frozen shrimp in the freezer and decided to whip up an inspiring soup using chicken stock and scallions.
Just add a salad and a loaf of bread and you have a completely warming supper.
■ Vegetarian Vegetable Soup ■
Ingredients:
Olive oil, to coat the bottom of a 4-quart soup pot
1 shallot, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
5 fat cloves of garlic, sliced
6 Brussels sprouts, separated into leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 32-ounce package of vegetable stock
2 cups of water
1 15-ounce can of white kidney beans, rinsed
1 ripe plum tomato, diced
6 red bliss potatoes, cut into medium chunks
Small handfuls each of frozen green beans and white corn kernels
3 bay leaves
6 to 8 ounces of baby spinach leaves
Fresh Italian parsley leaves, snipped
Directions:
Heat the oil over medium-high in the soup pot. Add the shallot, onion, carrots and celery and saute for about eight minutes. Add the garlic and the Brussels sprout leaves and sauté a few more minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.
Add the stock, water, beans, tomato, potatoes, green beans, corn and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Place the lid askew and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Swirl in the spinach and parsley. Remove from the heat.
Heat the soup when ready to serve.
Serves four.
■ My Version of Jose Garces’ Sinful Vichyssoise ■
Ingredients:
Canola oil, to coat the bottom of a 4-quart pot
3 large leeks, with some light green, thoroughly washed and sliced
1 onion, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 fingerling potatoes, sliced in thirds
1 32-ounce package of chicken stock
1 cup of water
1 cup of light cream or half-and-half
4 slices of Applewood smoked bacon, cooked crisp and cut into pieces
2 day boat scallops, seared on each side in a little oil in a nonstick pan and each sliced vertically (as you would a bagel) into 3 pieces
Directions:
Heat the oil over medium-high in the pot. Add the leeks and onion and sauté until they are translucent, about eight minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the potatoes.
Add the stock and water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes pierce easily with a fork.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the contents of the pot and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Set aside and slice 12 pieces of the potato for garnish. Process the vegetables until smooth, or until similar to baby food. Return to the pot.
When ready to serve, add the light cream or half-and-half. If too thick, add a little water, stock, light cream or half-and-half. Heat the soup thoroughly.
Warm four to six bowls and evenly divide the soup. Garnish with the reserved potatoes, bacon and scallops.
Serves four to six.
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