Hearty Winter Broth

It’s snowing this morning and while it’s considerably warmer than the last days, one still needs some good winter comfort food…

This time I found the soup in Simply Soup, published in 2007 by Love Food in the UK. The following recipe appears on page 47:

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 1 lb lean neck of lamb
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 4 cups vegetable stock *
• 1 bay leaf
• sprigs of fresh parsley
• 2 oz pearl barley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan and add the pieces of lamb, turning the seal and brown on both sides. Lift the lamb out of the pan and set aside until ready the use.
2. Add the onion, carrots, and leeks to the saucepan and cook gently for 3 minutes.
3. Return the lamb to the saucepan and add the vegetable stock, bay leaf, parsley and pearl barley to the saucepan. Bring the mixture in the pan to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 -2 hours.
4. Discard the parsley sprigs. Left the pieces of lamb from the broth and allow them to cool slightly. Remove the bones and any fat and chop the meat. Return the lamb to the broth and reheat gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

It is advisable to prepare this soup a day ahead, then let it cool, cover and refrigetrate overnight. When ready to serve, remove and discard the layer of fat from the surface and reheat the soup gently. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve immediately.

* Vegetable Stock

Yield: 8 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sunflower or corn oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped leek
• 2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
• 4 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup finely chopped fennel
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 10 cups water
• 1 bouquet garni

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and leek and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining vegetables, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the water and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes,
2. Strain the stock into a bowl, let cool, cover and store in the refrigerator. use immediately or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

Enjoy, gentle reader, I tried it last evening and it was a perfect finish for a cold day!

CS

Ribollita, Zuppa Toscana

It’s been snowing non-stop, since early morning. It’s CoOOolD out there!

Having come back from a long day I could think of nothing better to warm up with than one of my favorite Tuscan soups:

Ribollita

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, coarsely chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• water, as needed
• 14 oz canned white beans, drained and rinsed
• 14 oz canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock *
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lb 2 oz kale (preferably Tuscan kale**, if you can find it!), trimmed and sliced
• 1 small day or two old ciabatta loaf (substitute any flat bread, if you can’t find the ciabatta, torn into small pieces)
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin oil, to serve

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions, carrots, and celery for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until the vegetables are golden and caramelized.
2. Add the white beans to the pan and pour in the tomatoes. Add enough of water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 20minutes. Add the parsley and Tuscan kale and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the bread and add a little more water, as needed. The soup should be thick.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Ladle into warmed serving bowls and serve hot, drizzled with extra virgin oil.

Try this soup and you’ll understand the true meaning of comfort food!

–oOOoOOo–

* Vegetable Stock

Yield: 8 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sunflower or corn oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped leek
• 2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
• 4 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup finely chopped fennel
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 10 cups water
• 1 bouquet garni

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and leek and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining vegetables, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the water and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes,
2. Strain the stock into a bowl, let cool, cover and store in the refrigerator. use immediately or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

–oOOoOOo–

**

Be warned, once you’ve tasted Tuscan kale, you’ll find it hard to go back to the more easily available variety.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Vichyssoise

It can be served cold or hot, but I prefer it cold; it’s perfect for summer and… perfect for Shavuos!

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 large leeks
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lb potatoes, chopped
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock *
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 egg yolk
• 2/3 cup light cream
• salt and white pepper
• freshly snipped chives, to garnish

Directions

1. Trim the leeks and remove most of the green parts. slice the white part of the leeks very finely.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the leeks and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, without browning.
3. Add the potatoes, stock, lemon juice, nutmeg, coriander, and bay leaf to the pan, season to taste with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are very soft.
4. Let the soup cool a bit, remove and discard the bay leaf, and then press through a strainer or process in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pour into a clean pan.
5. Blend the egg yolk into the cream, add a little of the soup to the mixture, and then whisk it all back into the soup and reheat gently, without boiling. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Cool and then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
6. Serve the soup sprinkled with freshly snipped chives.

–oOOoOOo–

* Vegetable Stock

Yield: 8 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sunflower or corn oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped leek
• 2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
• 4 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup finely chopped fennel
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 10 cups water
• 1 bouquet garni

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and leek and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining vegetables, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the water and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes,
2. Strain the stock into a bowl, let cool, cover and store in the refrigerator. use immediately or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

Since I was a kid this soup was a favorite of mine, considering that very few dishes were deemed acceptable to my palate, that’s saying a lot about Vichyssoise. Try it, and you’ll be hooked too.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Hearty Winter Soup

During this time of mild winter days and brutally cold evenings, nothing warms a body better than a delicious hot soup. Last eve I had the following (which I’d prepared a day earlier), it certainly did its job; no wonder soup is considered comfort food:

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb 2 oz neck of lamb
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 carrots, sliced
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 4 cups vegetable stock *
• 1 bay leaf
• fresh parsley sprigs
• 2 oz pearl barley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy bottom saucepan and add the pieces of lamb, turning them to seal and brown on both sides. Take the lamb out of the pan and set aside until ready to use.
2. Add the onion, carrots and leeks to the saucepan and cook gently for about 3 minutes.
3. Return the lamb to the saucepan and add the vegetable stock, bay leaf, parsley, and pearl barley. Bring the mixture in the pan to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4. Discard the parsley sprigs. Lift the pieces of lamb from the broth and allow them to cook slightly. Remove bones and any fat and chop the meat. Return the lamb to the broth and reheat gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yields: 4 servings

You may want to prepare the soup a day earlier (as I did), let it cool, cover it, and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, remove and discard the layer of fat from the surface and reheat the soup gently. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve.

* Vegetable Stock

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sunflower or corn oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped leek
• 2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
• 4 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup finely chopped fennel
• 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• 10 cups of water
• 1 bouquet garni

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and leek, cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining vegatables, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the water and bouquet garni, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Strain the stock into a bowl, let cool, cover and refrigerate. Use immediately or freeze in portions for up to three months.

Yields: 8 1/2 cups

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

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