As promised, today we feature soups made with chicken or vegetarian stocks. Please refer to February 10 for stock preparation basics if you missed it.
Almost any vegetable can be pureed and used in a soup. Vegetable + liquid + seasonings will create a delicious almost zero fat result by itself. If desired, the soup may be enriched with butter, cream, various ethnic seasonings and garnishes. It just depends on your mood and, perhaps, your fellow diners. At our house we often provide the basic soup and offer the other embellishments as a choice at service time. The butter or cream add unbeatable taste, but sometimes extra calories are unwanted.
Today's feature is a "Cream of Carrot" soup. Using basic cooking techniques for vegetables chosen, we will embellish two ways--one with the traditional cream addition, and one with an ingenious concoction developed by the late culinary genius, Julia Child (1912 - 2004) , and mentioned in her articles in the mid-nineties. It is a non fat substitute for the "cream" in creamed soups. She offered this idea long after her initial books on French techniques were published--recognizing that consideration of calories was an issue that had come of age for her audience.
Pureed Carrot Soup
2 pounds raw carrots (about 8 large carrots), peeled and chopped into chunks (see photo)
2 quarts chicken or vegetarian stock (add water if you are short)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Simmer the carrot chunks in the liquid until done (soft enough to blend or puree).
Puree with your hand blender, or in a food processor, or in a cocktail blender in batches.
Taste for seasoning.
If winter commercial carrots seem a little low on flavor, add a few tablespoons of fruit juice (apple or orange work well).
Before service, stir in 2 or 3 pats of butter or 1/2 cup heavy cream. Reheat if necessary. Serve in warmed soup bowls. Offer crusty bread and a green salad. Or just drink some out of a big mug.
Optional additions might include any or all of the following:
1 teaspoon ground cumin (for a more middle eastern taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle or other smoky chili powder (Southwestern taste)
1 teaspoon cinnamon or cardamom (another middle eastern choice)
Enjoy experimenting! Serve in warmed soup bowls with a garnish of freshly ground black pepper for contrast, a dusting of parsley, etc.
Now for the homage to Julia Child "cream" option:
1 large onion (about 3 1/2 inches in diameter) diced, covered with plastic or glass lid, and cooked to soft stage in microwave for about 3 minutes depending on your equipment (this is my favorite technique for cooking onions that requires no cooking butter or oil--see photo).
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup cooked rice--any kind. The original technique used raw rice cooked in the stock--I always have leftover rice on hand, so it saves time to use it.
Combine stock, onions, and rice in a blender and whirl until creamy smooth. Keep a heavy hand on the blender lid so this mixture doesn't spill over! Or do in batches. My adored hand blender won't work for this.
You have produced about 3 cups of this amazing "cream". Add it to your soups in place of real cream until you get the balance you like. For the above recipe, 3 cups will be too much. Add one cup at a time until you are satisfied with it. Taste for seasoning. It will be low salt--which some will appreciate. I add salt to give some depth to the vegetable flavors.
Pureed soups can be made from all the root vegetables, as well as spinach, chard, watercress, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, potatoes, various squash, etc. Create your own favorite combination!
P.S. One photo shows vegetables in glass dishes (antique glass bread pans that belonged to my grandmother) that will go in the microwave. We do asparagus this way all the time when our garden asparagus is in season. It works best for short cooking--but can be used for any vegetable if you need an extra cooking vessel. Cover with water, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Adjust time according to your microwave. Carrots would take too long for me to wait, but it can be done. Be sure you don't let the water evaporate.
KGC
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