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Soup's On: Cream of Fresh Tomato

YumSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:07 -0700

While shopping at Berkeley Bowl, I came across the bargain section of fresh produce. Most of the time I won't glance at this section, but a two-pound bag of ripe red tomatoes caught my eye. At only $0.99 per bag, I couldn't pass them up since I had a hankering for a bowl of fresh tomato soup.

The recipe calls for seeded and peeled tomatoes; however, I didn't want to waste time or lose a bunch of juice - especially because the tomatoes were really meaty. Also, once the soup makes its way through the blender, the seeds and skin are virtually undetectable.

Rather than use the conventional basil and thyme, I opted for lime basil and lemon thyme in the soup. Each spoonful of this comforting classic is fresh and flavorful. If you have some end-of-season tomatoes on hand, get started on this soup. You won't be disappointed! Get the recipe after the jump.

Soups to Warm You Up This Fall

partysugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:50:12 -0700

When the weather is cold, there's nothing like a piping hot bowl of soup to warm the kitchen and the soul. I enjoy making soup on Sunday or Monday. Then I eat it for lunch all week long. There's an endless variety to soups; if you want something luxurious you can make a cream based soup. Likewise, when you're in the mood for a lighter meal, a soup chock full of hearty vegetables is ideal. To encourage you to make more soup, I've rounded up some of my favorite recipes.

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Monday's Leftovers: Chicken & Spinach Pesto Soup

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:00:22 -0700

Crazed start to the week? Then reassure your stomach and soothe the mind by using yesterday's chicken breasts to make a poultry riff on Provençal soupe au pistou.

This dish consists of assorted vegetables, with pistou, a sauce made of garlic, basil, olive oil, and Parmesan.

Serve it at room temperature, or piping hot, with fresh croutons for an element of crunch. If you're coveting the recipe, read more.

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:00:26 -0700

If you found the recipes for chicken posole appetizing, then you'd likely also find yourself enraptured by this Latin soup as well. What is it?

Chicken Posole Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:50:53 -0700

I don't often throw big blowouts like Party does, but I still love an excuse to celebrate in my own way. So, to honor Mexican Independence Day (which just happens to be today - olé!), I'm making a spicy soup called chicken posole. With chicken broth, roasted chicken, hominy, and chiles, this rustic stew is down-home, South-of-the-border cooking at its best. Since I'm preparing ahead, I'll be putting together an elaborate rendition with homemade chicken stock, flash-fried tortilla strips, and pureéd ancho chiles, but in the future, when another posole craving inevitably strikes, I'll reach for a similar two-step recipe that does the trick, too. Decide which recipe's best for you

Chilled Zucchini Soup Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:50:49 -0700

I'm a major supporter of soup, and believe in eating it year-round, regardless of the weather. Yet I know how some of you can't bear to steam up sun shades with bowls of hot liquid in the Summer. If you fall into the latter category, chilled zucchini soup, with its creamy body and subtle flavor, is just the thing to talk you off the ledge. Add a quick course to the dinner menu when you blend together zucchini, broth, dill, and shredded cheese - or transform it into more of a substantial meal by topping off bowls with cumin-spiced shrimp and tangy cilantro cream. Decide between the two when you read more

Gazpacho Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:30:15 -0700

Even if you aren't a fan of warm soups in Summer, it'd be hard not to get behind the tart, herbaceous, chilled Spanish soup known as gazpacho. In-season tomatoes provide a savory acidity, emulsified olive oil gives a creamy mouth-feel, and garlic packs a punch. In traditional Spanish recipes, the addition of day-old bread adds weight and body.

Make the soup by pulsing ripe tomatoes with other abundant vegetables - or go the rustic route, as California landmark Chez Panisse does, and use a mortar and pestle to smash cloves of garlic, and a grater to crush fresh heirloom tomatoes. See both versions of this classic refreshing soup when you read more.

Beginner Gazpacho
From Real Simple

Ingredients

3 small fennel bulbs, roughly chopped
4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped
1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia), roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, diced (or one 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes, undrained)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (32 ounces) tomato or vegetable juice
Juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
Lemon or lime wedges

Directions

Place the fennel, celery, scallions, onion, garlic, and red peppers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.
Transfer to a large glass or plastic bowl and stir in the tomatoes, oil, salt, black pepper, tomato juice, lemon juice, and hot sauce, if desired.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve chilled with the lemon or lime wedges.

Serves 6-8.

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Expert Gazpacho
From Saveur

Ingredients

Soup:
1 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
1 1⁄2 cups crustless, cubed day-old country white bread
2–3 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt
5 lbs. best available vine-ripened red tomatoes, halved
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Relish:
1⁄2 lb. mixed varieties and colors small vine-ripened
tomatoes, quartered
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 small sweet yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1⁄2 small red onion, peeled and diced
Leaves from 1⁄2 bunch chervil, chopped
Leaves from 1⁄2 bunch basil, chopped
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices country white bread, brushed with extra-virgin
Olive oil, toasted, and rubbed with 1 clove peeled garlic

Directions

Make the soup: Soak chile in a bowl of hot water until soft, about 30 minutes.
Drain, peel, and crush to a paste with a mortar and pestle; set aside.
Soak bread cubes in a medium bowl of cold water until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain, squeeze out excess water, and set aside.
Crush garlic with 2 tbsp. salt to a paste with a mortar and pestle, add soaked bread, and grind until smooth; set aside.
Grate cut side of tomatoes just to skin on large holes of box grater into a strainer set over a large bowl, straining out seeds and pressing through as much pulp as possible; discard skins.
Stir reserved chile paste, garlic-bread paste, and oil into tomato pulp and season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Make the relish: For the relish: Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, chervil, basil, vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.
Divide soup between 6 bowls; add a generous spoonful of relish and a slice of toast to each bowl.

Serves 6.

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Transport Your Taste Buds to the Shore With Clam Chowder

YumSugar — Sat, 23 May 2009 08:00:49 -0700

One recent Summer afternoon at Sam's Chowder House, I enjoyed some of the best New England clam chowder I'd ever had. Ever since, then, I've had lingering thoughts of making an inspired version at home, which was further encouraged when I came across a copy of The Summer Shack Cookbook, in which I earmarked a promising recipe for fresh-from-scratch, authentic New England clam chowder.

The recipe calls for quahogs, the unofficial chowder clam of New England, but since those aren't widely available on the West Coast, I substituted them with Manila clams. You can use any kind that works for you. For a taste of the ocean, read more.

Creamy Cape Cod Clam Chowder
From The Summer Shack Cookbook by Jasper White

Ingredients

10 pounds small quahogs or large cherrystone clams
2 cups water
4 ounces meaty salt pork, rind removed and cut into small (1/3-inch) dice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions (about 12 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks celery (4 ounces), cut into 1/3-inch dice
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1 tablespoon)
1 large dried bay leaf
2 pounds Yukon Gold, Maine, PEI, or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice
2 cups heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher or sea salt if needed
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions

Scrub the clams and rinse well. Place them in a large pot, add the water, cover, and turn the heat to high. Once you see a little steam escape from the pot, let the clams cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and quickly move the clams around in the pot so they will cook evenly, then cover and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the clams open.
Pour off the broth and reserve. After it has settled a bit, strain the broth, leaving the bottom 1/2 inch of broth (and sediment) in the container. You should have about 4 cups. Remove the clams from the shells, place in a bowl, and refrigerate until cold.
Dice the clams into small (1/3- to 1/2-inch) pieces. Cover and refrigerate.
Rinse and dry the pot and heat over low heat. Add the salt pork and cook until crispy and brown. Add the butter, onions, garlic, celery, thyme, and bay leaf and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, until the onions are softened but not browned.
Add the potatoes and 4 cups reserved clam broth. The broth should just barely cover the potatoes; if it doesn't, add more broth or water. Turn the heat to high, cover the pot, and boil vigorously for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. Smash a few potatoes against the side of the pot and stir them into the chowder to lightly thicken it.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cream and diced clams. Season with black pepper; you may not need salt (the clams usually add enough of their own). If you are serving the chowder within the hour, just let it sit and "cure." Otherwise, let cool to room temperature and refrigerate it; cover it after it has chilled.
When ready to serve, reheat the chowder slowly over medium heat; do not let it boil. Ladle into cups or bowls and sprinkle with the parsley.

Makes 3 quarts; serves 12 as an appetizer or 6 to 8 as a main course.

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Do You Enjoy Soup For All Seasons?

YumSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 09:00:58 -0700

I was telling my sweetheart the other day, soup has always been one of my favorite things, regardless of the situation (or the weather forecast, for that matter). Now that the days have grown balmier, there's been talk again of busting out the barbeque. Does that mean it's time to stop slurping soup?

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:15:07 -0700

If you've got leftover ham from Easter, you could use it to make a non-vegetarian version of the soup pictured below. Do you know what it is?