Soup Season 2011-2012

Dear Friends, the cool weather has made its way into the crevices and cracks of the walls and windowsills. Soup season is upon us!  This post will be the running list of soups and stews made, typically weekly for lunch, this season.

Oct 1-7, 2011:  Lentil Soup (Moosewood recipe)
Oct 17-21, 2011:  Cream of Celery with Potato (April Improvised)
Oct 22-24, 2011:  Silky Avocado, Corn and Chicken (April Improvised)
Oct 31-Nov 4, 2011:  Split Pea (Moosewood recipe)
Nov 14-18, 2011:  Chicken Posole (Hominy chicken soup)

Silky Avocado Corn and Chicken Soup

Step 1:  Peel 4 ripe avocados and place into food processor or blender with the juice of half a lemon and pulse until blended

Step 2:  Heat one onion or a large shallot, 2-3 large chopped cloves of garlic and 2-3 hot peppers (jalapeno, serrano) in some olive oil until fragrant and add 2 C of chicken stock

Step 3:  Cut chicken breasts or boneless skinless thighs into cubes and cook in the simmering chicken stock

Step 4:  Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon once cooked

Step 5:  Carefully temper the avocado mixture in the food processor by adding 1/4 C of the hot chicken stock mixture, pulsing the food processor or blender between each 1/4 C to combine and blend the onion and garlic into the avocado mixture until about 1 C (or all) of the hot stock has been added and blended until silky smooth.

Step 6:  Add some frozen or canned corn and the chicken back to the soup along with a dash of chili powder and serve with some tortilla chips!

Osipenko Family Borscht

A trip to Richmond, VA for some quality time with dear friends resulted in a family recipe lesson in how to make the trademark soup of Russia and much of Eastern Europe:  Borscht.  Famous for its deep reddish-purple color, borscht is a nutritiously rich soup packed full of vitamins and minerals from the primary vegetable components comprised of beets, cabbage, carrot, and potato.


Apparently in some countries, tomato may actually serve as the main ingredient while beets serve as secondary; and some variations are known as "tomato paste" borscht (which may explain why one of the secret ingredients in this family recipe is tomato paste).  I'm not quite sure what type of recipe this would be classified as, whether Ukranian, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian; but regardless it is absolutely delicious and rather simple to make.


Ingredients:
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 medium-large onion
2-3 small-medium beets, shredded (about 1 1/2 - 2 C)
7-8 small to medium sized potatoes (Yukon gold or red), peeled and diced
1/2 medium green cabbage, shredded (about 3 C)
2 large carrots, shredded (about 2/3 C)
2 T tomato paste
1 T ketchup (optional)
Cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper
Olive oil (any kind)


Step 1:
Coat the bottom of a large stock pot with olive oil Wash and dry the boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I typically wear disposable gloves for sanitary purposes and easy hand washing afterwards), cubing the thighs into the stock pot.  I use kitchen scissors to do this (clean-up of scissors is far easier than a knife and cutting board).  Add half of a medium-large onion whole to the pot, and quickly sear chicken on med-high heat, about 2-3 minutes.  Add about 6-7 cups of water to the pot, and maintain at med-high heat until stock comes to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer as stock comes to a boil, skimming foam and fat off of the top.

Step 2:

While chicken stock simmers, shred 2-3 small-medium beats using the medium size hole on a hand grater, or the shredding disc attachment for the food processor.  Heat 2-3 T olive oil in a small skillet and add shredded beats.  Season with a pinch of cayenne pepper.  Saute on med-high for about 5 min or until slightly softened, they will just begin to get shiny and slightly translucent.  

Step 3: 

Add sauteed shredded beets to chicken stock.  Simmer for 5-7 minutes (no more).  Save the skillet for later (no need to clean it).

Step 4:

While beets are simmering, peel 7-8 medium yellow (Yukon gold) or red potatoes and dice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.

Step 5:

Add potatoes to soup, simmering until almost tender to cut (al dente), about 5 min.  Continue to skim foam off of the top.  While the potatoes are simmering, the cabbage can be shredded using the food processor, or by hand using a grater or knife to finely chop the cabbage into shreds.

Step 6:  

Once potatoes are just al dente, add 2 1/2 - 3 C finely shredded green cabbage.  Meanwhile, shred 2 large carrots, again using either the food processor or a hand grater.  Heat another 2-3 T oil to the same small skillet used for the beets in Step 2, add shredded carrots, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and 2 T tomato paste (as well as 1 T ketchup if desired).  Saute shredded carrots until slightly softened, about 5 min, and add shredded carrots to the soup.

Step 7: 
Add the seasoning packet, which can be purchased at most Russian food stores.  The following website is provided on the package (www.arikon.ru), and may perhaps assist in locating the seasoning packet.  This is not a necessary item and may be compensated for using a variety of dried spices given that the packet ingredients are:  iodized salt, beet, carrots, garlic, onion, chilly (red hot pepper), coriander seeds, parsley, dill, black pepper.

Step 8:

Salt to taste.  Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream (not light -- the real stuff), and chopped scallion.

Osipenko Family Borscht:

Cream of Celery Root Soup and Truffle Oil Celery Seed Crostini

Cream of Celery Root Soup

1 large celery root (3/4 lb), cubed

1 large onion

3 large cloves garlic

6 stalks celery, strings removed, reserve leafy tops

2 tsp ground black pepper

3 C chicken (or veggie) stock (3 T concentrated stock + 3 C water)

1/3 C dry sherry

3 C whole milk

3 T flour

Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO)

Immersion blender

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F

2. Dice large onion

3. Roughly mince garlic

4. Remove strings from celery, roughly dice

5. To clean celery root, cut the leafy top and root-like rough bottom off so

that the celery bulb root has a flat top and bottom that is stable on the cutting board surface. With a sharp chef’s knife, follow the contour of the root, and trim the brown outer surface off of the root so that the white inner part of the root is exposed, rotating the root until all of the brown outer surface is removed. Trim off any remaining brown outer surface.

6. Dice the celery root into small ¼ inch cubes.

7. Add about 3-4 T EVOO to coat bottom of thick bottom soup pot (dutch oven)

8. Add half of the diced celery root cubes, onion, garlic, and celery to the

pot and sauté on med-low, about 15-20 min until the onions are translucent and celery root cubes have softened.

9. Add about 1 tsp ground black pepper to the sautéing vegetables.

10. Toss the reserved half of celery root cubes to coat in EVOO, salt, and pepper. Roast the cubes on a foil lined cookie sheet at 400 F for about 15 min, turning mid-way through, or until cubes are golden brown on all sides. Set aside.

11. To the sautéed vegetables, add the dry sherry and allow the alcohol to boil off for about 1 min.

12. To this, add the 3 C of soup stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 min.

13. To ¼ C cold water, add the 3 T flour and mix thoroughly to break up any lumps.

14. Add the flour-water mixture to the 3 C of whole milk.

15. Turn off heat to soup. With the immersion blender, puree soup until smooth, slowly adding the 3 C of whole milk and flour mixture.

16. Return the soup to very low (warm) heat, and stir. The soup should have a smooth and velvety consistency.

17. Add the roasted celery root cubes to the soup at this time.

18. Serve drizzled with EVOO, garnish with reserved celery stalk leaves, and serve with truffle oil celery seed crostini.

Truffle oil Celery Seed Crostini:

1 loaf crusty French bread

2 T freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsely

1 clove garlic finely minced

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp Kosher salt

¼ tsp celery seed

¼ C Parmesan (or Romano) cheese

Truffle oil (white or black)

EVOO

Wire cooling rack

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F (Oven should be pre-heated from the roasted celery root)

2. Line a cookie sheet with foil

3. Place a wire cooling rack on the lined cookie sheet

4. Slice the French bread on a bias

5. Finely mince the parsely and garlic

6. Place the slices of bread in a large bowl

7. Toss bread to coat with EVOO, parsley, salt, pepper, celery seed, garlic, and cheese. Lightly coat with truffle oil. Note: Some of the garlic, parsley and cheese may remain on the bottom of the bowl—lightly rub some of the bread slices on the bottom of the bowl if this is the case.

8. Place coated bread slices on the wire cooling rack on the lined cookie sheet. Drizzle each of the crostini with truffle oil. Sprinkle lightly again with celery seed.

9. Bake crostini for about 10 min or until tops are golden brown, turn drizzle again with truffle oil, and continue to bake until the other sides are golden brown.