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MANGE TA SOUPE!
In France, soup is children food. Ask any French person "What will happen if you don't eat your soup?" and they will answer, by rote, "I won't grow tall." Of course there is bouillabaisse, there is pistou, but by and large, most grownups in France haven't had a bowl of soup in years.
It's only once I moved to America that I realized the potential of soup. And as I had more fun making more interesting soups, I even began eating soup as well.
At the café, we poach bone-in chicken breasts every morning for our popular salads. As a result we have a daily supply of fresh chicken broth. At home you may use canned broth, but dilute it with an equal amount of water.
Soup is not scientific. You can omit this, substitute that and it will still turn out all right.
POTATO, CARROT & GINGER SOUP
1/4 lb butter, separated
2 medium onions, chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 cups potatoes peeled and cubed
5 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1 14oz can chicken broth or more homemade
salt - white pepper
Melt half of the butter in a stock pot and sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger patiently and carefully.
You may heat your broth separately to gain time.
Add the potatoes and carrots to the onion and cover with enough broth plus water to go about 2 inches over vegetables.
Add salt and pepper to taste. I don't particularly like white pepper but it helps this soup keep its paint-smooth speckless appearance.
Simmer gently, covered, for a long time.
When carrots are truly tender, strain vegetables out of broth and process them very smoothly, using reserved broth to adjust consistency of purée.
Reheat if necessary and add remaining butter.
HUNGARIAN MUSHROOM SOUP
6 tablespoons butter, separated
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 or 2 potatoes, diced
1 lb mushrooms, sliced or quartered
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
pinch cayenne pepper
1 14oz can chicken broth or more homemade
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
chopped parsley
sliced green onion
salt - pepper
Melt half of the butter in a stock pot and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, potatoes and mushrooms, not too fast but not too slow, stirring often. Add the spices. When the onion is translucent, cover with broth and water and simmer until the carrot is not crunchy anymore. Don't overcook.
Melt the reserved butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and stir when bubbling for a minute or two. Pour carefully about 2 cups of hot soup liquid on the roux and whisk thoroughly until smooth. Whisk the sour cream in the white sauce.
Combine everything. Reheat but don't boil again. Check the salt and garnish with parsley and green onion.
BRAZILIAN BLACK BEAN SOUP
2 cups black beans, soaked overnight
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 onions, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
4 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 potatoes, quartered
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 14oz can chicken broth or more homemade
1 tablespoon salt
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 bunch chopped cilantro
Start the soaked beans early with 2 inches extra water and the cayenne pepper. Skim off the foam when it rises before it overflows.
Sauté the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and potatoes in the butter, with the curry and the turmeric ,on a medium flame, stirring regularly. Do not let scorch, but a little browning is fine.
When onion is tender-golden, cover vegetables with the broth plus water.
When the beans are tender, the contents of both kettles can be combined.
When the largest carrot chunk is tender, it is time to process the soup. Strain and save the broth. Process the vegetables and the beans and recombine with the broth. Or use an immersion blender if available.
When all is processed, add canned tomatoes, salt and chopped cilantro. If the soup is too thick, add water. Correct the seasoning with salt or cayenne, or fresh grated garlic.
Reheat before serving.
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