A Beautiful Bowl of Soup (2 page)

I prefer serving my soups within a few days after they are made instead of freezing them, but many of these soups freeze well. If you plan to freeze, be sure to have a set of freezer containers, too.

The vibrant flavors of the soups in this book rely on fresh ingredients and seasonal produce. I’ve provided alternatives when appropriate. When it comes to tomatoes, for example, canned are often a better choice than flavorless unripe tomatoes. Some vegetables, such as corn and peas, are acceptable in their frozen forms; others, such as chestnuts and beans, can come from a can. While I generally prefer fresh herbs, I’ve provided the conversion to dried herbs when applicable.

TIPS

Fresh herbs, which come from the leafy part of plants, contain more moisture and therefore are milder than dried herbs. When substituting, use 3 to 4 times more fresh herbs than dried herbs.

Stock up on onions (I prefer yellow for general use) and garlic, to use generously and often.

It’s probably illegal to make soups, stews, and casseroles without plenty of onions.

—Maggie Waldron

These recipes call for salt and pepper to be added “to taste.” The amount will be determined by personal preference and whether you use salted or unsalted vegetable stock. I find that I use more salt in my soups than in other dishes, and I prefer to cook with sel gris.

When seasoning a soup, keep in mind the garnish or topping. Feta and Parmesan cheese, for instance, are very salty. Miso and soy sauce also add saltiness; if you prefer, use a low-sodium soy sauce.

TIP

Sea salt, made from evaporated sea water, is available in many supermarkets and natural-foods stores; it can be used just like ordinary table salt. This type of salt includes several naturally present trace minerals, such as iodine, magnesium, and potassium, which give it a fresher, lighter flavor than table salt. Coarse sea salt can be finely ground in a salt mill for use in recipes or at the table. (Make sure that the salt mill has a stainless steel or other noncorrosive mechanism.) Specialty varieties of sea salt include sel gris, gray in color and slightly moist, which can be used to season foods while cooking, and fleur de sel, used to add flavor at the table. You’ll find these in gourmet shops.

You may vary the richness or calorie content of a soup by altering the dairy product you choose, from heavy cream to skim milk, regular sour cream to nonfat sour cream. Take into account the other dishes in your menu and the dietary preferences of your guests. Some light, creamy-textured soups are simply thickened with vegetables.

Sherry and wine make lovely, aromatic additions to elegant soups. Never cook with a wine that you wouldn’t drink, but it doesn’t have to be the best. I keep on hand 6-ounce bottles of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, which are found in most liquor stores. They are ideal for soups. I always keep dry sherry in the refrigerator, where it will retain a quality suitable for cooking for up to 1 month, so I can effortlessly add sophistication to soups. Avoid cooking wines and sherries; they’re too salty.

Soup making is not an exact science. As you work with these recipes, you’ll become comfortable making alterations such as substituting or adding vegetables you may have on hand, or using more or less of an ingredient, especially those that add spiciness. It’s always possible to improvise: To make soups thinner, add more liquid; to thicken them, simmer them longer or without a lid.

Soup making requires few techniques, making these recipes accessible for even the novice cook.

I was 32 when I started cooking. Up until then, I just ate.

—Julia Child

Begin with mise en place: everything in its place, ingredients ready to go when they are needed. Think of steps that may be executed simultaneously: Prepare the garnish while the soup simmers; cook a stew while preparing the accompanying noodles or grain.

Timing and temperature may vary by stove and pan. Judge doneness by appearance, texture, aroma, and flavor.

The first step often is cooking onion and garlic gently in a little butter or oil. This lays the base for flavor. Don’t let garlic become brown, or it will be bitter.

For the best flavors, fresh and dried herbs may need to be added at different times in the cooking procedures, as noted. Dried herbs require time to hydrate. Robust fresh herbs, such as rosemary, are added early in the cooking period; tender fresh herbs are added toward the end, as their flavors dissipate with heat. Fresh herbs also may be sprinkled on the top of the completed dish.

Simmer is a key term. First you bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat so it bubbles very gently. The stove setting will vary depending on your pan and burner. Just be certain the temperature is constant and kept low enough so that tiny bubbles begin to break the liquid’s surface. This allows the ingredients to cook without breaking apart while the flavors blend. When simmering, keep the pan tightly covered, except for occasional stirring, to prevent the soup liquid from boiling away.

Some soups may be partially made, refrigerated, and completed just before serving. This is especially true for warm soups containing dairy products. To retain their smooth texture, avoid boiling these soups when both cooking and reheating.

Tasting is very important to the preparation of any good soup. Always adjust spiciness and saltiness to suit your taste.

The recipes in this book have been well tested to guarantee your success, but don’t feel constrained to follow them exactly. You can also omit or interchange the toppings. Trust your palate, and you will be recognized for your homemade soups.

When serving guests, it’s fun to ladle soup from a large tureen at the table. But it doesn’t need to be a conventional tureen. In the summer, use a large pitcher to pour chilled melon soup. Come fall, serve hearty soups from a hollowed-out pumpkin.

Small soup cups or tiny bowls are just right for first-course soups. Mugs are great for sipping creamy soups. Most rimmed soup plates hold generous servings and are ideal for main-course soups. Deep bowls help to retain warmth. Wide, shallow soup plates prevent chunky garnishes from sinking
beneath the soup’s surface. “Bread bowls,” or hollowed-out loaves of fresh baked bread, make wonderful edible containers, as do colorful bell peppers, seeded and scooped clean with a sharp knife and the bottoms trimmed so they’ll stand up straight. Or, roast acorn squash; they make a lovely presentation and are luscious when scraped up with spoonfuls of soup.

Serve hot soups really hot and chilled soups cold. Heat or refrigerate the bowls to maintain the perfect temperature and to show your guests that you care. And, although they may be considered optional, garnishes add color, texture, and flavor to your soups, as well as style to their presentation.

Never place soup cups or bowls directly on the table, but on a flat plate, which provides a resting place for the spoon when it’s not being used.

Don’t overlook the importance of spoons. A cup-sized serving of a smooth, creamy soup can be served with a teaspoon. For chunky soups, I like to use large soup spoons. Besides serving the function of holding sizable pieces of vegetables, they simply look and feel substantial.

I’ve provided recipe yields giving both total cups and approximate numbers of servings. As a rule of thumb, allow ½ to ¾ cup of soup for an appetizer or first-course serving. For a main course, allow 1 to 2 cups. Of course, it all depends on what else is served and the richness of the soup.

Soups make a statement, so don’t feel as though you are serving “just soup.” Whether the event is formal, casual, or somewhere in between, set your table with style. Use interesting dishes, silverware, and bread baskets. For a centerpiece, it’s fun to assemble a bowl of the fruits or vegetables used in the soups.

At the table one never grows old.

—Italian proverb