Issue Date: October 24, 2004
One formula makes 10 full-flavored vegetable soups
Learn my basic recipe to get supper on the table quickly.
A puréed vegetable soup can be an impressive, easy and affordable first course for an elegant dinner, or even a light dinner on its own with salad and bread. If you're not careful, however, it's easy to make a soup that tastes like baby food -- thin and bland.
These simple soups freeze well, so make extra for future meals.
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For a full-flavored soup, start by sautéing an onion along with your vegetable of choice. Sautéing browns and evaporates moisture, both of which heighten flavor. To further brown and intensify the vegetables, lower the heat, sprinkle in a pinch of sugar and toss in a pat of butter. Add thickly sliced garlic (minced garlic might burn). The key is to have beautifully browned vegetables before adding spices and broth.
Use my Basic Creamy Vegetable Soup recipe to create any of the wonderful variations on the opposite page. Don't feel locked into the suggested spice blends and garnishes. Many are interchangeable. Try curry in cauliflower soup, saffron in potato, or rosemary in turnip. Whatever you do, flavor with gusto. There's no point in serving a wimpy vegetable soup -- unless you really are aiming for baby food.
Contributing Editor Pam Anderson is the author of three cookbooks, including CookSmart (Houghton Mifflin, $28)
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Basic Creamy Vegetable Soup
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 pounds vegetable of your choice, cut into 1-inch chunks (or prepared as described on next page)
1 large onion, cut into large dice
1 Tb. butter
1 large pinch sugar
3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
Dried herbs and/or spices (see next page)
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or from a carton or can
Fresh herbs (not called for in all recipes; see next page)
1 to 1 1/2 cups half-and-half (or whole milk)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garnish
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep sauté pan until shimmering.
Add vegetable of choice, then onion; sauté, stirring very little at first, then more frequently, until vegetables start to turn golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add butter, sugar and garlic; continue cooking until all vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.
Add dried herbs and/or spices; continue to sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.
Add broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, purée (adding fresh herbs if called for) until very smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (If using a traditional blender, vent it either by removing the lid's pop-out center or by lifting one edge of the lid. Drape the blender canister with a kitchen towel. To "clean" the canister, pour in a little half-and-half, blend briefly, then add to the soup.)
Return to pan (or a soup pot); add enough half-and-half so the mixture is souplike, yet thick enough to float garnish. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed.
Heat through, ladle into bowls, garnish and serve.
Yields 6 to 7 cups; serves 6 to 8.
Nutrition: Varies by choice of vegetable. Per cup, if using broccoli: 185 calories, 8g protein, 12g fat (5g saturated), 13g carbohydrates, 3.5g fiber, 446mg sodium.
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For fall, pick a variation
Start with the basic cream soup recipe at left, then get creative!
Broccoli With Mustard. Use broccoli stems peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks, remaining broccoli cut into medium florets (7 to 8 cups total). Add 1 1/2 tsps. dried mustard, 1/2 tsp. basil, 1/4 tsp. oregano and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. Garnish: toasted pine nuts. (To toast, heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add nuts; stir and shake pan until nuts are fragrant and golden.)
Butternut Squash With Cinnamon. Use peeled and seeded butternut squash (about 5 cups), plus 1 1/2 tsps. cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. Garnish: store-bought apple chips.
Potato With Rosemary. Use peeled russet (Idaho) potatoes (4 to 5 cups), plus 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. When recipe instructs to add fresh herbs, add 1 1/2 tsps. minced fresh rosemary. Garnish: crumbled bacon.
Beet With Dill. Use peeled raw beets (about 4 cups), plus a scant teaspoon ground toasted caraway seeds and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. When recipe instructs to add fresh herbs, add 2 Tbs. fresh dill. Garnish: chopped hard-cooked egg. (To toast caraway seeds, heat 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat until they start to gently pop and smell fragrant. Cool slightly, then crush with a rolling pin.)
Cauliflower With Ginger. Use 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into large florets (about 6 heaping cups), plus 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric, 1/8 tsp. saffron threads and 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper. Garnish: 1 seared sea scallop for each bowl of soup. (Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat 6 to 8 large scallops with oil; season with salt and pepper. Sear until caramel brown, about 3 minutes each side.)
Sweet Potato With Ginger. Use peeled raw sweet potatoes (4 to 5 cups), plus 1 1/2 tsps. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. Garnish: chopped honey-roasted peanuts.
Carrot With Curry. Use peeled carrots (4 to 5 cups), plus 2 Tbs. curry powder. Garnish: chopped roasted pistachios.
Corn With Cumin. Use 1 1/2 pounds frozen corn, thawed and drained (about 4 cups), plus 2 tsps. ground cumin and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. When directed to add fresh herbs, add 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves. Purée soup as instructed, then strain through a colander (the corn kernels don't purée). Garnish: corn chips and chopped tomato.
Turnip With Paprika. Use peeled turnip bulbs, not the leafy tops (about 5 cups). Add 2 tsps. paprika, 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. Garnish: shallot crisps. (Heat 2 Tbs. butter and 1 Tb. olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add 2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced. Fry, stirring, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.)
Parsnip With Ginger. Use peeled parsnips (4 to 5 cups), plus 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/4 tsp. cardamom, 1/4 tsp. allspice and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. Garnish: sautéed hazelnuts and dried cranberries. (Cook 2 Tbs. each coarsely chopped hazelnuts and dried cranberries in 1 tsp. butter until golden and fragrant, 1-2 minutes.)
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The blender: The secret to silky-smooth soup
When it comes to making puréed vegetable soups, I prefer a blender to a food processor. The traditional countertop variety works beautifully.
But an immersion blender, also called a hand blender, is easy to use and easy to clean. Use it to purée right in the soup pot. When you're finished, unplug it, wash the base of the wand in warm, soapy water, then rinse and dry.
Immersion blenders come in many brands, at prices ranging from $20 to more than $100.
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