Soups to Get You Through the Last of the Rain

Minestrone Toscana

• 2 stalks celery, diced small
• 1 small carrot, diced small
• 1 red onion, diced medium
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
• 3 small zucchini, diced medium
• 3 large tomatoes, diced (or a small can whole peeled tomatoes)
• 1 bunch of Lacinato kale, stems removed and cut into 1” slices
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, rough chopped
• 3 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 4 stalks swiss chard
• Salt and/or black pepper to taste
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 cup dry cannellini beans, soaked overnight (can substitute a 1/2 lb. fresh green beans,
  cut into 1” pieces)
• 1 cup Arborio rice

In a large soup pot, sauté the celery, carrot, and onion in olive oil on medium heat. Once the vegetables are soft, add the garlic and cook until it starts to color. Then add the zucchini and tomatoes and sauté, occasionally stirring, for 10 minutes. Then add the kale, beans, parsley, and seasoning. Allow to cook for another 10 minutes, then cook the chicken stock and simmer on low for 40 minutes to an hour or until beans are done. If using green beans, add them now and cook for 10 minutes.

Once soup is ready, the final step is to add the dry rice and simmer until the rice is al dente. Serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a spoonful of pesto (recipe below) on top.

Classic Basil Pesto

• 1 bunch basil, stripped off stems and washed
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• Salt
• Freshly cracked pepper

Add the basil, some of oil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese to a food processor. Then add olive oil to smooth, season with salt and pepper.

French Onion Soup

• 4 yellow Spanish onions, julienned
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 stems fresh thyme, tied in a bundle
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 quart brown veal or beef stock (can substitute brown chicken)

Heat large soup/pasta pot. Add oil and butter, and sauté onions until a dark golden brown. Season with salt. Deglaze with brandy and wine, cooking until onions are dark (not burnt). Add remaining stocks, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring broth to a simmer and reduce by a third. Fill onion soup in ceramic crocks or soup bowls. Top with one slice of toast and 1/4 cup of cheese and bake under broiler until golden brown (toast recipe below). Serve immediately.

Gourmet Cheese Toast

• 4 slices French baguette, toasted with olive oil and salt
• 1 cup Gruyère cheese, grated

Potato Leek Soup

• 2 bay leaves
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 6 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced
• 4 shallots, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
• 8 cups homemade chicken stock (or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Bouquet garni

Heat olive oil and butter in a medium stockpot. Add celery, leeks, shallots, and garlic; cook on medium-low heat until very soft, about 45 minutes, stirring only occasionally. Do not brown. Add potatoes, stock, and reserved bouquet garni (recipe below). Bring mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until potatoes are very tender, about 40 minutes. Remove bouquet garni and discard.

Working in batches, pass half of the soup through a food mill, fitted with a medium disk, into a large saucepan OR use an immersion blender. Add remaining chunky soup. Place the saucepan on medium-low heat to warm soup. Slowly stir in milk and cream, and season with salt and pepper.

BOUQUET GARNI: Wrap bay leaves, rosemary, parsley, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth. Then tie with a piece of kitchen twine and set aside.

Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup

• 1 whole head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 large carrots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ginger, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed with your knife
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1-4 tablespoons Thai curry paste
• 5 cups stock (veggie, but chicken works too)
• 1 can coconut milk (15 oz.)
• Sea salt, to taste
• Sliced green onion, chili peppers, cilantro, chili oil, and freshly squeezed lime juice to garnish

Begin by roasting or sautéing the cauliflower (you could also use leftovers from last night!). Then heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until both the carrots and onion are brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the turmeric and Thai curry paste, cook for 1 more minute. Deglaze the pan with a splash of the stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove the dark bits.

Add the remaining stock and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer. Put the cauliflower into the pot (reserve a few small pieces for garnish, if you’d like). Using an immersion blender (or working in small batches using a regular blender) blend the soup until it is very smooth. Add the coconut milk and season to taste with sea salt. Serve the soup garnished with the reserved cauliflower florets and garnishes.