I Love Soup: More Than 100 of the World's Most Delicious and Nutritious Recipes - Beverly LeBlanc (2016)
CHILLED SOUPS
The sweet and savoury soups in this chapter are the key to staying cool in the kitchen when temperatures are high. These recipes include meat- and chicken-based soups, as well as vegetarian and vegan options.
From sunny Spain, Gazpacho and White Garlic & Almond Soup are ideal for summer entertaining, as is Bloody Mary Party Soup. And, if rain clouds threaten your catering plans, don’t worry: Fennel & Red Pepper Soups, Consommé & Vegetable Soup and Lemon & Saffron Soup can do double duty as hot soups.
The important thing to remember with the recipes in this chapter is to taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary, before serving. Chilling soups dulls the flavours, and what previously tasted fresh and exciting might need re-seasoning after several hours in the refrigerator. Most soups also thicken as they chill and will require a little extra liquid stirred in just before serving.
GAZPACHO
PREPARATION TIME 20 minutes, plus preparing the tomatoes, at least 2 hours chilling and making the croûtons
6 large tomatoes, peeled (see page 10), deseeded and chopped
2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
400g/14oz/3 cups peeled, deseeded and chopped cucumber
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
tomato juice (optional)
sherry vinegar, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
TO SERVE
1 recipe quantity Garlic Croûtons (see page 18)
2 spring onions/scallions, thinly sliced
1 large green pepper, deseeded and finely diced
1 large red pepper, deseeded and finely diced
½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded and finely diced
ice cubes (optional)
Blend the tomatoes, peppers, garlic, cucumber and oil to the preferred consistency. Depending on how juicy the tomatoes were, it might be necessary to stir in a little tomato juice to give the soup a more liquid texture. Strain the soup for an even smoother texture, if you like.
Season with salt and pepper, add sherry vinegar and blend again. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, stir well. Adjust the salt and pepper and add more vinegar, if necessary. Serve with an ice cube added to each portion, if you like, and with the croûtons, spring onions/ scallions, peppers and cucumber on the side.
CONSOMMÉ & VEGETABLE SOUP
PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus making the consommé, preparing the tomato, cooling and at least 2 hours chilling
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 courgette/zucchini, peeled and grated
1 tomato, peeled (see page 10), deseeded and finely diced
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves
1 recipe quantity Beef or Chicken Consommé (see pages 13 and 14) or 1.25l/44fl oz/ 5½ cups canned beef or chicken consommé, at room temperature
salt and freshly ground black pepper
dry sherry, to serve
1 pomegranate, to serve (optional)
Put the carrot, courgette/zucchini, tomato, chives, parsley and consommé in a bowl, stir well and season very lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. The consommé will lightly gel while chilling.
When ready to serve, put 1 teaspoon dry sherry in each bowl, then ladle in the soup. If you want to garnish with pomegranate seeds, bash the pomegranate with a wooden spoon, then cut it in half. Hold one half over one of the bowls and tap the top with the spoon so the seeds fall over the soup and remove any white pith. Repeat to sprinkle the remaining bowls with pomegranate seeds, then serve.
CREAMY COURGETTE SOUP
PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus making the stock, cooling and at least 2 hours chilling
COOKING TIME 20 minutes
875ml/30fl oz/3¾ cups Vegetable Stock (see page 12) or ready-made stock, plus extra as needed
350g/12oz/2½ cups sliced courgettes/zucchini
1 onion, chopped
175g/6oz/¾ cup soft garlic-and-herb cream cheese
salt and ground white pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves, to serve
Put the stock, courgettes/zucchini and onion in a saucepan. Season with salt and white pepper, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the courgettes/ zucchini are very tender, then blend until smooth.
Put the cheese in a small bowl, add several spoonfuls of the soup and beat until smooth. Add this mixture to the soup, stirring until well blended. Set aside and leave to cool completely, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, add a little extra stock if the soup has thickened. Adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve sprinkled with parsley.
BLOODY MARY PARTY SOUP
PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus making the stock, cooling and at least 2 hours chilling
COOKING TIME 30 minutes
MAKES 14 × 100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup servings or 4-6 conventional servings
1 tbsp chilli-flavoured olive oil
100g/3½oz/¾ cup peeled and diced carrot
1 celery stalk, finely chopped, plus extra celery stalks with leaves to serve (optional)
1 onion, finely chopped
700ml/24fl oz/3 cups passata (Italian sieved tomatoes), plus extra as needed
750ml/26fl oz/3¼ cups Vegetable Stock (see page 12) or ready-made stock, plus extra as needed
150ml/5fl oz/⅔ cup vodka
a pinch of dried chilli/hot pepper flakes, or to taste
lemon juice, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
sweet sherry, to serve
celery salt, to serve
celery seeds, to serve
Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the carrot, celery and onion, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the passata, stock, vodka and chilli/hot pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice to taste, then blend until smooth.
Strain the soup through a sieve into a large bowl, rubbing back and forth with a spoon and scraping the bottom of the sieve. Set aside to cool completely, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, stir the soup and add a little extra passata or stock if it has thickened. Adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary. Put ½ teaspoon sweet sherry in fourteen small or four to six regular mugs or glasses. Add the soup, sprinkle with celery salt and celery seeds, add celery stalks to act as stirrers, if you like, and serve.
ICED TOMATO & ORANGE SOUP WITH GOATS’ MILK-YOGURT SORBET
PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes, plus making, cooling and at least 2 hours chilling the soup and 2 hours freezing the sorbet
COOKING TIME 10 minutes
1 recipe quantity Slow-Cooked Tomato & Orange Soup (see page 118), chilled for at least 2 hours
orange juice (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)
very finely chopped parsley, to serve
GOATS’ MILK-YOGURT SORBET
250g/9oz/heaped 1 cup goats’ milk yogurt
200g/7oz/1 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
To make the sorbet, put the yogurt, sugar, lemon juice and 175ml/6fl oz/¾ cup water in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Brush down the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush, if the mixture splashes the side, but do not stir.
Pour the mixture into a shallow heatproof bowl and set aside to cool completely. Churn the sorbet in an ice-cream maker, following the manufacturer’s directions, then transfer to a freezerproof bowl and freeze until required. Alternatively, put the mixture in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours. Use an electric mixer or fork to beat the semi-frozen mixture, then return it to the freezer. Repeat two more times, then return the sorbet to the freezer until required.
Remove the sorbet from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. When ready to serve, stir the soup well and add extra orange juice, if you like. Adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve immediately with 1 scoop of sorbet per portion, sprinkled with parsley. Any leftover sorbet can be kept frozen for up to 3 months.
SPANISH WHITE GARLIC & ALMOND SOUP
PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus at least 2 hours freezing the grapes and chilling the water
COOKING TIME 10 minutes
1 small bunch of seedless white grapes, to serve
8 large garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
250g/9oz day-old country-style bread, crusts removed
4-6 tbsp sherry vinegar
250g/9oz/2½ cups ground almonds
125ml/4fl oz/½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
salt and ground white pepper
At least 2 hours before serving, put the grapes in the freezer and put a jug with 1.25l/44fl oz/ 5½ cups water in the refrigerator to chill. If your refrigerator is large enough, chill the serving bowls as well.
Put the garlic cloves in a small saucepan and cover with water. Cover and bring to the boil, then strain into a bowl and set the garlic aside. Tear the bread into a large bowl, sprinkle with the garlic-flavoured water and set aside for 10-12 minutes until softened, then use your hands to squeeze any water from the bread.
Blend the bread with the garlic, 4 tablespoons of the vinegar, the ground almonds and the oil to form a thick paste-like mixture. Season with salt and white pepper. Slowly add the chilled water and continue blending to achieve the preferred consistency. Adjust the salt and pepper and add the remaining sherry vinegar, if you like. At this point, the soup can be served as it is, or covered and chilled until required.
When ready to serve, stir well and add extra chilled water if the soup has thickened. Serve with the frozen grapes acting as ice cubes and drizzle with oil.
LEMON & SAFFRON SOUP
PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes, plus making the stock, cooling and at least 2 hours chilling
COOKING TIME 45 minutes
1 large lemon, well scrubbed
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain white/all-purpose flour
a large pinch of saffron threads
950ml/32fl oz/4 cups Vegetable Stock (see page 12) or ready-made stock, plus extra as needed
150ml/5fl oz/⅔ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
salt and ground white pepper
finely shredded mint leaves, to serve
goji berries (optional), to serve
Put the lemon in a small saucepan and cover generously with water. Cover and bring to the boil, boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Repeat this process three more times. After the fourth time, cut the lemon in half in a soup bowl to capture all the juices and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, add the saffron and stir for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the stock, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Stir in the crème fraîche, then return the soup to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.
Use the tip of a knife to remove the seeds from the lemon halves, then chop each half, including the skins. Add the lemon and any accumulated juices to the soup and blend until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper. Set aside to cool completely, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, add a little extra stock if the soup has thickened and stir well. Adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve sprinkled with mint leaves and goji berries, if you like. This soup is also good served hot, sprinkled with mint leaves and chopped pistachio nuts.
FENNEL & RED PEPPER SOUPS
PREPARATION TIME 25 minutes, plus making the stock, cooling and at least 2 hours chilling
COOKING TIME 40 minutes
4 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, very finely chopped
2 fennel bulbs, finely chopped, with the fronds reserved and chopped
125ml/4fl oz/½ cup Vegetable Stock (see page 12) or ready-made stock
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp aniseed-flavoured spirit, such as Pernod
2 large red peppers, deseeded and diced
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp crème fraîche or sour cream
salt and ground white pepper
Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and fry, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes until softened. Remove half the onions and set aside.
To make the fennel soup, add the fennel to the onion in the pan and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add half the stock, the lemon juice, spirit and enough water to cover. Season with salt and white pepper. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the fennel is very tender.
Blend until smooth, then work the soup through a sieve into a bowl. Stir in the crème fraîche and set aside to cool completely, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the red pepper soup. Put the remaining onion in a saucepan and reheat. Add the peppers and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the remaining stock, cayenne pepper and enough water to cover, and season with salt. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the peppers are very tender. Blend until smooth. Work the soup through a sieve into a bowl. Set aside to cool completely, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
To serve, stir each soup and adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary. Filling one soup bowl at a time, put the fennel soup in half the bowl, then add the red pepper soup to the other half and use the tip of a knife to swirl decoratively.
Alternatively, put a metal ring in the middle and fill it with the fennel soup. Spoon the red pepper soup around the outside of the ring, then carefully lift the ring. In any case, always pour the fennel soup first because it is thicker and will remain in position. Sprinkle with the fennel fronds and serve.
JEWELLED CUCUMBER & WALNUT SOUP
PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus making the stock, toasting the walnuts, 30 minutes standing and at least 2 hours chilling
280g/10oz/2 cups grated cucumber
½ tsp salt, plus extra to season
600g/1lb 5oz/2½ cups Greek-style yogurt, plus extra as needed
600ml/20fl oz/2½ cups Vegetable Stock (see page 12) or ready-made stock
2 garlic cloves, crushed
85g/3oz/¾ cup walnut halves, very lightly toasted (see page 10) and finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves, plus extra to serve
freshly ground white pepper
pomegranate syrup, to serve
walnut oil, to serve
1 pomegranate, to serve
Put the cucumber in a sieve, sprinkle with the salt and leave to drain for 30 minutes, then rinse under cold running water and pat dry. Transfer the cucumber to a bowl and stir in the yogurt, stock, garlic, walnuts and mint. Season with salt and white pepper, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, stir well and add a little extra yogurt if the soup has thickened. Adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary, and divide into bowls. Sprinkle with mint and drizzle with pomegranate syrup and walnut oil. Bash the pomegranate with a wooden spoon, then cut it in half. Hold one half over one of the bowls and tap the top with the spoon so the seeds fall over the soup. Remove any white pith, if necessary. Repeat to sprinkle the remaining bowls with pomegranate seeds, then serve.
GREEN TEA SOUP WITH COCONUT JELLY
PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus chilling the coconut jelly, cooling the soup and 2 hours chilling
COOKING TIME 15 minutes
2 tbsp matcha (green tea powder)
1.25l/44fl oz/5½ cups whole milk
1 tbsp sugar, or to taste
finely grated lime zest, to serve
COCONUT JELLY
240ml/8fl oz/1 cup coconut milk
1 heaped tbsp agar agar flakes
1 tbsp sugar
To make the coconut jelly, rinse the inside of a shallow, heatproof 8.5 × 12cm/3½ × 4½in dish (or use a small ice cube tray), then pour the water out, but do not dry it, and set aside. Put the coconut milk, agar agar flakes and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over a low heat, without stirring. Once it is simmering, stir occasionally for 3-5 minutes until the agar agar flakes dissolve completely - put some of the mixture in a clean spoon and look closely for any specks of agar agar. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and set aside to cool completely. Cover and chill to set while you make the soup.
Mix the matcha and a little of the milk together in a small bowl to make a thin paste, then stir the mixture into the rinsed-out saucepan, along with the remaining milk and the sugar. Bring to just below the boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved, then remove the pan from the heat and pour the soup into a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool completely, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, run the tip of a round-bladed knife around the edges of the coconut jelly, then invert it onto a plate, shake well and remove the dish. Cut the jelly into bite-size pieces. Stir the soup and add extra sugar, if you like. Serve topped with the coconut jelly and lime zest.
MINTED PEA SOUP
PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus making the stock, cooling and at least 2 hours chilling
COOKING TIME 30 minutes
1½ tbsp olive or hemp oil, plus extra to serve
4 spring onions/scallions, finely chopped, plus extra, thinly sliced on the diagonal, to serve
1 floury/russet potato, peeled and finely chopped
900ml/32fl oz/4 cups Vegetable Stock (see page 12) or ready-made stock, plus extra as needed
600g/1lb 5oz/4 cups frozen peas
30g/1oz mint leaves, plus extra small ones to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the spring onions/scallions and fry, stirring, for 3-5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir in the potato, then add the stock and season with salt and pepper, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the potato is tender. Add the peas and mint, return to the boil, uncovered, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the peas are tender.
Blend the soup. For a smoother texture, work it through a sieve, if you like, rubbing back and forth with a spoon and scraping the bottom of the sieve to remove the pea skins. Leave to cool completely, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, stir well and add extra stock if the soup has thickened. Adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve sprinkled with spring onions/scallions and mint leaves and drizzled with a little olive oil.
HUNGARIAN CHERRY SOUP
PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus toasting the almonds, cooling and at least 2 hours chilling
COOKING TIME 20 minutes
900g/2lb fresh cherries, pitted
240ml/8fl oz/1 cup rosé or dry red wine
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
pared zest of 1 large lemon, all bitter white pith removed
175g/6oz/¾ cup Greek-style yogurt, smetana or sour cream
1 tsp almond extract
lemon juice, to taste
salt
2 tbsp cherry brandy or kirsch (optional)
flaked/slivered almonds, toasted (see page 10), to serve
Put the cherries, wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon zest and 200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup water in a saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cover and bring to just below the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the cherries are very tender.
Discard the cinnamon stick and lemon zest and blend the soup until smooth. Stir in the yogurt, almond extract and lemon juice and season lightly with salt. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
When ready to serve, stir in the brandy, if using. Adjust the salt and add extra lemon juice, if necessary, then serve sprinkled with almonds, either as a dessert soup or, as in Hungary, as a first course.
