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| Photo by James DeMers (source) |
In honor of National Homemade Soup Day, I'm sharing some recipes for warm vegetarian soups. The first three are my versions of classic soups; the fourth is adapted from a vintage creole recipe. Bon appetit!
CREAM OF
BROCCOLI SOUP
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8 ounces frozen chopped broccoli
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2 tablespoons minced onion
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¼ cup flour
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3 cups milk
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1 tablespoon butter or margarine
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Salt and black pepper, to taste
Cook broccoli according to package directions; drain,
and set aside cooking liquid. In bowl, mix flour with milk until smooth. Add to broccoli in saucepan and stir well.
Add reserved cooking liquid, butter, minced onion, and seasonings. Cook over
moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until soup is slightly thickened and
flavors are well blended. Serve with croutons, if desired. Yield: 4 servings.
TOMATO BISQUE SOUP
- 1 large (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 can condensed tomato soup
- 1 soup can full of milk
- ½ small raw onion, chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- Seasonings to taste (garlic
powder, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, crushed red
pepper flakes)
Place
tomatoes and onion in blender or food processor and blend until just slightly
chunky. Heat mixture in saucepan, and add condensed tomato soup, 1 can
milk, and herbs and spices as desired. If you would like it spicy, add crushed
red pepper flakes and/or cayenne. Stir frequently over low heat until
done. Just before serving, stir in
cheese. Serve with croutons, if desired. Yield: 4 servings
PASTA E FAGIOLI
- 1 cup olive oil
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to
taste
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)
- 1 large (28 ounce) can crushed
tomatoes
- 2 cans cannellini beans (or one
can of these and one can of red kidney beans)
- ½ pound of uncooked small pasta,
such as tubetti, ditalini or broken spaghetti
- Salt and pepper, and dried basil,
to taste
- Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Coat bottom of small stock pot or Dutch oven with
olive oil. Sauté garlic and red pepper flakes until garlic is golden. Add
celery if using, and sauté a few minutes more. Then add crushed tomatoes and
cook on low heat for 25 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and basil, and the beans
with liquid. Let cook about 10 minutes more over low heat. Then add 4 cups of
water and let come to a boil. Add uncooked pasta and let cook until pasta is al
dente. Serve topped with grated cheese and more crushed red pepper, if desired.
Yield: 4-6 servings.
POTATO AND WATERCRESS
SOUP (Potage Cressonniere)
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5 Tbsp butter
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2 medium onions, sliced
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6 medium potatoes, pared and sliced
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1 clove garlic, minced
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¾ cup water
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2 bunches watercress, coarsely chopped
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3 cups milk and water in equal quantities
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1 cup light cream
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Salt and pepper, to taste
Melt the butter
in a deep saucepan. Add onions, potatoes, garlic, three quarters cup water, salt,
and pepper. Cook very slowly until vegetables are soft and mushy. Add three quarters of the
watercress. Add the milk and water and stir over heat until soup comes to a boil. Press mixture through a coarse strainer; or
allow to cool and place in blender or food processor to puree. Return to the
pan with the rest of the watercress. Add the cream, season to taste, and heat thoroughly. Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Adapted from The Art of Creole Cookery
(1962)
