Lois Daish had some "souper smoothies" for the cold nights, and days, ahead.
Carrot Soup
June 25, 1994, and our food columnist Lois Daish has some smooth vegetable soups for the winter nights. Here is her column, which was headlined “Souper smoothies”.
One of the most endearing characteristics of the winter roots – carrots, parsnips and kumara – is that they can all be transformed into smooth, well-flavoured soups in 30 minutes. But, if you want a soup that tastes better than something you have whirred up for the baby, you can’t skimp on the seasonings or take shortcuts with the method. Too many cooks think it’s good enough to boil a few kumara, puree them in the processor and pour into bowls. To make matters worse, “fingernails” of kumara fibre are often dispersed in the puree.
I think it’s worth gently sautéing any root vegetables with butter and seasonings before adding stock or water. Then simmer the vegetable until it is only just cooked. Overcooked vegetables are as unpleasant in a soupbowl as on a dinner plate. For the smoothest soups, puree the vegetable while still hot. Although a processor does the job quickly, it does have drawbacks. First, only process for the shortest possible time, so that the soup won’t be unpleasantly foamy. Second, the processor doesn’t sieve out any stringy or scratchy bits, so trim the vegetables carefully before you cook them, or push the puree through a sieve after processing.
The old-fashioned mouli still has a lot to recommend it. If you had put yours away in the cupboard when a processor came on the scene, get it out for soup-making – or buy one from a secondhand shop. At the restaurant we use the biggest commercial mouli for all pureed soups. We can push through a couple of gallons in a few minutes.
All the winter root vegetables have such a sweet flavour that they need to be generously flavoured with herbs or spices, or sharpened with a touch of something tart.
A good example is this carrot soup, which is based on one by Josephine Araldo in her book From a Breton Garden (Aris Books, 1990). The carrots are gently sautéed in butter, then steeped in dry cider before the stock is added to complete the cooking. The cider contributes an aromatic sharpness to the sweetness of the carrots.
CARROT AND CIDER SOUP
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, roughly diced
- ½ rib celery, sliced finely
- 500g mature carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup dry apple cider
- 3 cups chicken stock
- salt and pepper
- finely chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp crème fraiche or sour cream
Melt the butter in a good-sized pot and add the onion, celery and carrots. Stir to coat, then cover and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cider and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add the stock, then bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree in a processor or blender until finely chopped, or push through a mouli. Return to the pot and bring back to the boil. Add a little more liquid, stock, cider or water if the soup is too thick. Check the seasoning. Serve with a good amount of parsley stirred through just before serving and a spoonful of crème fraiche or sour cream. Serves 4.
To make sure that the vegetable purees aren’t too thin, start with about four cups of liquid to every 500g of vegetables. The puree may be a little too thick, but can be diluted with a little more water or stock. The flavour of curry has a special affinity with parsnips. Use a little for a touch of mystery, or a couple of spoonsful for a gutsy soup.
PARSNIP CREAM SOUP WITH CURRY SPICES
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 small onion, roughly diced
- 1 heaped tsp curry powder
- 500g parsnips, peeled and sliced
- 4 cups beef stock or water
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup cream
Melt the butter in a good-sized pot and add the garlic, onion and curry. Fry gently for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the parsnips and stir to coat with the curry mixture. Cover the pot and sauté gently for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the stock or water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until the parsnips are very tender. Puree by pushing through a mouli, or chopping in a food processor or blender. Reheat, thinning down if needed with more stock or water. Check the seasoning and stir in the cream. Serves 4.
Golden kumara make a smooth puree that forms a sweet base for many flavour enhancements. One of my favourites is to sauté a good amount of garlic and green ginger before adding the kumara. The flavour is rich enough to make stock unnecessary. Water will still produce a pleasant soup. Crème fraiche, sour cream or yoghurt, mixed with a little grated orange zest, adds piquancy at serving time.
GOLDEN KUMARA SOUP WITH GINGER AND GARLIC
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, roughly diced
- ½ rib celery, sliced finely
- piece of green ginger (the size of the top thumb joint), peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 500g golden kumara, peeled and sliced
- 4 cups stock or water
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp crème fraiche and ½ tsp grated orange zest
Melt the butter in a big pot and add the onion, celery, ginger and garlic. Saute gently for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the kumara and stir to coat. Cover and cook gently for another 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the kumara is very tender. Puree in a mouli, or chop in a processor or blender. Reheat and think down with more water or stock if needed. Check seasoning. Lightly mix the crème fraiche and zest and put a spoonful in each bowl when served. Serves 4.