For me, soup has always been the girl that got away (disclaimer: not in the stalker/rapist sense). I can't count the number of times I've walked into a restaurant and enjoyed the most flavorful soups, then attempted something similar in my own kitchen that ended in a texture disaster or flavor crisis. It's just never the same.
I was browsing through Thomas Keller's (French Laundry, Ad Hoc, Per Se, etc.) book, Ad Hoc at Home, the other day and was struck by his thoughts on soup. He mentions something to the tune of every home cook having one or two great soup recipes they can rely on for summer and winter seasons. Soup has always been the hole in my recipe arsenal; I have my go-to's for meats, veggies, salads, breakfasts, and desserts, but soup has been elusive. Sure, there have been some good attempts, but nothing that I would ever serve to anyone besides myself and my wife (read: guinea pigs).
Mal and I have been enjoying the Upper Haight farmers' market on Wednesday evenings for a couple months now. The last few times we've been, some pretty incredible summer squash was just begging to be taken home and put to good use. A couple weeks ago, I tried out a summer veggie carbonara that was pretty good, but didn't quite make the cut. Besides, it's tough to get the stamp of approval from Mal on bacon dishes.
How could I say no?
That brings us to the wonderful recipe below: healthy, delicious, cheap, seasonal, easy, and makes a ton of soup. It's a winner, and I finally have an excellent soup recipe! (Note: since discovering this soup, I've actually made an excellent broccoli cheddar soup and chicken tortilla soup that I'll have to post later).
Summer Squash Soup with Parsley-Mint Pistou
Adapted from Gourmet, September 2006 and Smitten Kitchen
For Soup
3/4 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 lb yellow summer squash, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 yellow-fleshed potato (1/2 pound), peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
For Pistou - the green swirly. Mal hated it, I loved it. Soup is great either way.
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 large scallion (green onion), chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs water
1/4 teaspoon salt
How To
Melt butter in a 6 quart wide heavy pot over medium heat, then cook onion with salt, stirring occasionally until softened, about 8 minutes. Add your squash, carrots, potato, and stock and bring to a boil. If the stock doesn't quite cover the veggies, then add some water. The size of the veggies is less important in this recipe as far as overcooking and undercooking goes since we're pureeing at the end. Just make sure they all get cooked. Reduce heat, then simmer, partially covered, until veggies are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and then cool the soup for 10 minutes.
Puree the soup in a blender, food processor, or use a hand blender (easiest). Do it in batches if needed, and be careful since it's hot. Return the puree to the pot and add water if you need to thin it out. At this point, season generously with salt and keep tasting until it gets to the flavor you want. I used A LOT of salt to get the flavor to really pop, especially since the chicken broth I used was reduced sodium. Don't feel guilty, just do it.
If you want to do the pistou, make it while the veggies simmer. Pulse the mint, parsley, and scallion in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a stream, and then add water and salt until it is all incorporated.
Swirl 1 tablespoon of pistou into each bowl of soup. Enjoy!!!
For me, soup has always been the girl that got away (disclaimer: not in the stalker/rapist sense). I can't count the number of times I've walked into a restaurant and enjoyed the most flavorful soups, then attempted something similar in my own kitchen that ended in a texture disaster or flavor crisis. It's just never the same.
I was browsing through Thomas Keller's (French Laundry, Ad Hoc, Per Se, etc.) book, Ad Hoc at Home, the other day and was struck by his thoughts on soup. He mentions something to the tune of every home cook having one or two great soup recipes they can rely on for summer and winter seasons. Soup has always been the hole in my recipe arsenal; I have my go-to's for meats, veggies, salads, breakfasts, and desserts, but soup has been elusive. Sure, there have been some good attempts, but nothing that I would ever serve to anyone besides myself and my wife (read: guinea pigs).
Mal and I have been enjoying the Upper Haight farmers' market on Wednesday evenings for a couple months now. The last few times we've been, some pretty incredible summer squash was just begging to be taken home and put to good use. A couple weeks ago, I tried out a summer veggie carbonara that was pretty good, but didn't quite make the cut. Besides, it's tough to get the stamp of approval from Mal on bacon dishes.
How could I say no?
That brings us to the wonderful recipe below: healthy, delicious, cheap, seasonal, easy, and makes a ton of soup. It's a winner, and I finally have an excellent soup recipe! (Note: since discovering this soup, I've actually made an excellent broccoli cheddar soup and chicken tortilla soup that I'll have to post later).
Summer Squash Soup with Parsley-Mint Pistou
Adapted from Gourmet, September 2006 and Smitten Kitchen
For Soup
3/4 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 lb yellow summer squash, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 yellow-fleshed potato (1/2 pound), peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
For Pistou - the green swirly. Mal hated it, I loved it. Soup is great either way.
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 large scallion (green onion), chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs water
1/4 teaspoon salt
How To
Melt butter in a 6 quart wide heavy pot over medium heat, then cook onion with salt, stirring occasionally until softened, about 8 minutes. Add your squash, carrots, potato, and stock and bring to a boil. If the stock doesn't quite cover the veggies, then add some water. The size of the veggies is less important in this recipe as far as overcooking and undercooking goes since we're pureeing at the end. Just make sure they all get cooked. Reduce heat, then simmer, partially covered, until veggies are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and then cool the soup for 10 minutes.
Puree the soup in a blender, food processor, or use a hand blender (easiest). Do it in batches if needed, and be careful since it's hot. Return the puree to the pot and add water if you need to thin it out. At this point, season generously with salt and keep tasting until it gets to the flavor you want. I used A LOT of salt to get the flavor to really pop, especially since the chicken broth I used was reduced sodium. Don't feel guilty, just do it.
If you want to do the pistou, make it while the veggies simmer. Pulse the mint, parsley, and scallion in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a stream, and then add water and salt until it is all incorporated.
Swirl 1 tablespoon of pistou into each bowl of soup. Enjoy!!!
Posts
