Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 363 Location: Queensland, Australia
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #150 on Feb 4, 2012, 8:53pm »
Wow bixa, that is something I'd like to try. You can't get it here. I'm cilantro crazy too and can't understand why some people hate it so much... like MrC.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 25,328 Location: Mexico
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #151 on Feb 5, 2012, 8:37pm »
It was just a thrown together little soup, but came out well. You might try making it with mushrooms & maybe a touch of truffle oil to deepen the flavor.
Depending on the season here, it can be impossible to not buy too much cilantro. In season, the vendors make the bunches bigger. I hate to wind up throwing it away, so besides using it as a salad green (don't try on Mr.Mockchoc!), I've been using it as a cooked green in some dishes. It wasn't used that way in the huitlacoche soup, but turned into a cooked green when I reheated the soup & was quite nice.
You can sneak it into something to see if it gets past the mister's taste buds.
See what you think of this Diana Kennedy recipe. It's one of my favorites. Hope you can get the dried peeled favas. In the intro to the recipe, she says: Even those who say they can't stand coriander leaves will eat them in this soup -- providing you don't tell them they are in it.
Caldo de Habasdried fava bean soup 1/2 pound dried, peeled yellow fava beans 2 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil 1 small onion, roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1 medium tomato (@6 oz.), peeled and chopped 10 cups hot water, approximately 6 sprigs fresh coriander, leaves only, roughy chopped (I've never known what individual recipe writers mean by "sprig", so I just use the amount I think I'd like -- Bixa) 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Rinse the beans well, picking out any loose pieces of skin or fiber. Heat the oil on high & fry the beans along w/the onion & garlic until beans are lightly browned & the onion & garlic are translucent. Add the tomato & cook on high, stirring constantly, until the mixture is almost dry -- @3 minutes. Add the water, coriander, & salt & let the soup cook on low until the beans are mushy & almost disintegrated, @3 1/2 hours.. Serve each bowl with a tablespoon of the olive oil & some of the crumbled chile on top.
My name really isn't Don, but I used to be anónimo.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 2,950 Location: Michoacán, México
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #152 on Feb 6, 2012, 12:57pm »
We had Sopa de Habas while at La Casa de Los Sabores Cooking School, in Oaxaca a few years ago. I think it was made with a dried fava powder. I have some of that around, and hadn't until now thought of it. Maybe I'll make some, if I can figure out how to substitute it in the DK recipe.
Also got some beautiful, but expensive ($25 MXP a kg) sweet red peppers yesterday in the Pátzcuaro mercado. I've made a soup from these once before. It can be served either hot or cold.
The big challenge is having real stock on hand. I've made both chicken and beef stock several times, using a variety of recipes, and it seldom comes out truly rich and flavorful as I would like. The recipes also yield so little, it's usually gone in one usage! Lots of work and time, and for what?
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 25,328 Location: Mexico
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #155 on Feb 6, 2012, 3:13pm »
$25MN is not that bad for nice bell peppers here, DonC. In the big market, you either won't see them at all, or they'll be wizened and expensive, but there might be one vendor with really nice ones at a decent price.
I've never seen dried fava powder here, but dried garbanzo powder is quite common. Casa de los Sabores may simply have taken the next logical step with dried fava beans. However, that soup recipe pretty much cooks down so much, it could turn into something that might seem to have come from a powder.
I discard any recipe that uses too much time and effort for a very small yield. Sheesh -- I've seen bean recipes calling for a half cup of beans! When I make the fava bean soup, I use the whole package of beans -- 500 grams, so doubled.
To get the kind of chicken broth as for caldo de pollo, you gotta boil the whole clucker.
Leeks are lovely! I wish I saw them more often around here.
My name really isn't Don, but I used to be anónimo.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 2,950 Location: Michoacán, México
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #156 on Feb 7, 2012, 11:04pm »
Quick and Easy Sopa de Ajo.
I was weary, finishing up making Fennel Sausage and Italian Meatballs. I needed something good but easy for our late lunch. I remembered Sopa de Ajo. This is my improvisation.
As I was finishing baking the meatballs, I had about a cup of fine, dry breadcrumbs left from breading them.
I sliced up 5 or so large cloves of garlic, heated some olive oil, slowly sweated the garlic as well as a half cup of chopped onion left from the MBs.
As the garlic and onion slowly cooked, I added all the breadcrumbs and slowly cooked them until toasty.
Then I added 1 1/2 liters of water and 3 cubes of Knorr Suiza Costilla jugosa. (Beef stock cubes.)
Some Pimentón de la Vera agridulce, a few grinds of pepper, and a slug of dry sherry cooking wine.
Meanwhile toasting some wood fired oven teleras (flattish sandwich rolls). Just to be fancy, I threw in some chopped parsley.
It occurred to me that our comida was short on protein, and I didn't want to add the traditional poached eggs at that point, so I plunked a still warm meatball in each bowl of soup.
I ended up eating 3 MBs. They were above and beyond their usual goodness.
Some Chilean vino tinto, and we were all set. Now I need Nap # 2 of the afternoon.
I was too done in to take photos, and anyway, the soup isn't especially pretty.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 25,328 Location: Mexico
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #157 on Feb 8, 2012, 4:00am »
You really took the traditional Spanish sopa de ajo up a level! That's been one of my favorite soups for years, but I make the super simple, bread-cubes-browned-in-olive-oil -&-garlic with water & paprika added. The meatball addition was a touch of genius.
You really took the traditional Spanish sopa de ajo up a level! That's been one of my favorite soups for years, but I make the super simple, bread-cubes-browned-in-olive-oil -&-garlic with water & paprika added. The meatball addition was a touch of genius.
I'd had eggs for breakfast, and I had just taken the meatballs out of the oven, so I just rolled with the idea.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 25,328 Location: Mexico
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #160 on Feb 9, 2012, 3:57pm »
sing: ♩ ♩ On top of soup de ajo all covered with parsley, I rolled my nice meatball ♫, a real good idea.
Mockchoc, the cilantro cooks down to nothing, especially if you chop it first. However, no reason that fava bean soup made with chicken stock & some chicken meat, or perhaps pork stock & meat wouldn't be delicious.
This is a basic cream soup recipe guideline. It's thickened with potato, not flour. There's no roux. You have many options within the basic framework.
Yesterday I made Crema de Berros (watercress) but you can do this with cilantro instead. I am fairly confident that it could be done with spinach, but very careful cooking of the spinach would be required.
Crema de Berros
Start with two or more large bunches of fresh watercress. (In the Pátzcuaro, Mexico mercado, the bunches range from the size of a small baby's head on upward. More is better.)
Pick the leaves from the coarse stems. Discard the stems and then wash the leaves well. Disinfect in a Microdyn and water solution. Let soak 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly in a colander. You should have 5 or more packed cups of watercress leaves.
Meanwhile, peel and finely slice or cube two medium potatoes. Put them to boil in a liter of water along with about 1/2 cup white onion, finely cut. Optional: put one Knorr-Suiza cubito de pollo (stock cube) or a teaspoon or two of the granular form in the water.
If you have good, homemade or purchased chicken stock, you may use that, leaving out the water and the Knorr-Suiza.)
Bring the water/stock to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are very tender.
Have on hand a kilo of Carnation Evaporated Milk (somewhat more than a liter) or you may use part half and half. I don't. Heat the milk separately and add to the potatoes and the water. Reheat gently.
When the combined liquids come to a simmer, remove from the flame and put the pot on the counter or other stable work surface. I usually place a folded kitchen towel underneath. This needs to be near an electrical outlet, away from the sink or the stove burners. (I will admit that I have at times done the next step over the stove burner.) I recommend wearing an apron.
Get out an immersion stick blender and gradually blend the liquid and potatoes and onion until no visible pieces remain.
When that is accomplished, gradually add the watercress by handfuls, blending thoroughly after each addition. Continue until all the cress is used.
Optional: grate a little nutmeg in, but don't overdo this. A 1/4 teaspoon or less is good.
Put the whole pot of soup back over the flame of the stove and gently reheat. Taste for seasoning. It probably won't need any salt, because of the Knorr-Suiza. You may add some ground white pepper if you wish. I didn't this time.
Serve hot, warm or cool. I garnish each bowl with a swirl of crema (Creme Fraiche) and a sprig of cilantro, or of cress, if you had the foresight to set aside a little at the beginning.
This earlier version was garnished with chopped toasted almonds and a swirl of yogurt. It obviously had more cress in it. That's good. You are free to use toasted hazelnuts or not.
Yesterday's soup was foamy, a result of the aeration by the immersion blender and the starch content of the potatoes. It was not an unwelcome characteristic.
Don that looks amazing - but I am just as taken with the beautiful blue soup plate! Would you give me the English word for 'Caldo' - I have stock cubes with 'Caldo de Marisco', and know they are prawn or shrimp stock from the picture on the box. I thought it was a Portuguese word for STOCK, as I also have cubes with 'Caldo de Peixe' and know they are fish stock because of the picture.
tod2, "caldo" is "broth" or thin, clear soup. "Stock" will work, too.
The soup plate is part of a now greatly diminished heirloom set. It is called the "Currier and Ives" pattern.
My wife tells me that my mother in law got them years ago as part of a promotion at the A&P supermarket in their midwestern home town. There are only three soup plates left. A sister in law may have a sugar bowl in that pattern.
I never paid them no mind until now.
« Last Edit: Jul 18, 2012, 10:56am by Don Cuevas »
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,535 Location: Paris, France
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #166 on Jan 6, 2013, 1:00pm »
I make soup from scratch more and more rarely, but I am incapable of using a package or carton of soup without adding my own little touches.
Yesterday I bought a big jar of fish soup, but I sautéed some chopped celery and parsley in butter in the bottom of the pan before I put in the soup to heat. Did not add any salt, but I added plenty of pepper.
I could have used some nice little croutons, but I didn't have any.
Joined: Jun 2012 Gender: Female Posts: 4,261 Location: Florida
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #167 on Jan 6, 2013, 6:32pm »
Now that I've finally made it out to the store, after developing a craving thanks to this thread, I've got a nice pot of bean soup cooking on the stovetop. To the mixture of beans I added some small chunks of potato, ham, and corn, as well as onion, celery and garlic that had been sautéed in a litte olive oil. A seasoning packet came with the beans so I am cooking with that and will adjust later if necessary.
Joined: Feb 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 34,535 Location: Paris, France
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #172 on Jan 19, 2013, 5:10pm »
My first soup was so excellent that it did not last long enough, so I made a second soup with:
1 medium leek 1 large potato 4 small turnips 4 baby corn cobs 1 1/2 broccoli heads (I had already used half of one) 1 green onion tons of garlic pods juice of one lemon most of a bunch of wilting cilantro
And of course I also threw in a lot of my spice cupboard.
Puréed in my blender, the result was different and greener, since I had no carrots. Still tasted great, but the first soup was better.
2 to 4 fish heads, tails, or fillets. I used catfish but tuna and salmon work well too. (I'm using mojarra. DC) 2 to 3 stalks of bac ha (Vietnamese taro stem) or celery if you can't find it, peeled and sliced along the diagonal. (Bought a raíz de chayote, a starchy tuberous root. This may work. DC) 2 tomatoes, large dice 1 to 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (Got it. Pineapples, 3/$25 pesos, and good.) 1 cup bean sprouts (From Pátzcuaro mercado. DC) a dozen or so okra pods, sliced in 1-inch segments (From Superama in Morelia. DC) 1 shallot, minced (unavailable. Using cebollita, knob onion. DC) 2 or more cloves garlic, minced A few sprigs ngo om (Vietnamese rice paddy herb) or rau ram (Vietnamese coriander) (No way. Use cilantro and roots instead. DC) 2 tblsp tamarind (I buy seedless tamarind in blocks. They also sell it in paste or liquid concentrated form. Adjust amounts if necessary.) (Madame Cuevas has hulled a bag of tamarind pods. Now it's up to me to extract it. DC) Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce), to taste. (Got it, Squid Brand, imported from Mexico City. DC)
Optional: 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut diagonally into about 3-inch segments or big enough to make them easy to remove from the soup pot. (Again, fresh in the Pátzcuaro Mercado. DC)
Add a few drizzles of oil to your pot and saute shallot, garlic, tamarind, and lemongrass until fragrant. Add cleaned fish heads.
Then, leaving the ingredients in the pot, fill your stock pot 3/4-full. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to medium to simmer, and scoop out any excess foam. You can either remove the lemongrass stalks at this point if you don't want to have to do that while you're eating. I like to leave them in so they can flavor the soup even more. Leaving the lemongrass in big sections makes it easier to find and to remove from the soup later.
Add tomatoes, pineapple, bac ha, and okra and let simmer. Add fish sauce to taste.
After maybe 15 minutes, when the fish is fully cooked and the veggies have slightly softened, taste soup again and add fish sauce if needed.
Add bean sprouts and ngo om when the soup is almost done since they cook almost immediately. Ngo om has a taste and scent like fresh cumin. It adds a lovely dimension to the soup.
Joined: Jan 2013 Gender: Female Posts: 373 Location: NOLA,USA
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #174 on Feb 19, 2013, 3:23pm »
I made some red lentil soup yesterday. Perfect weather for a hearty soup. Grey,cold and rainy day. I added some red curry paste to give it some zing I didn't have any homemade stock readily available so I used some of this. We discovered it some years back and quite like it. It comes as a paste in several flavors. Topped it off with some hot paprika and fresh chopped mint and a swirl of olive oil oh, and of course, a squeeze of lemon.
Joined: Jan 2013 Gender: Female Posts: 373 Location: NOLA,USA
Re: Soup glorious soup « Reply #176 on Feb 19, 2013, 5:30pm »
Here you go Tod. Should have all the pertinent info that you need. I didn't realize there were that many flavors available. I have used the vegetable, chicken and beef. All good.
Casimira, we have had a Turkish Red Lentil Soup a few times at the Istanbul Cafe in New Haven Connecticut. It's delicious and slightly picante.
The recipe for the soup I made is from a Turkish cookbook, The Sultan's Kitchen. I wanted to be able to replicate the red lentil soup I had in Istanbul (along with some other dishes that I had there). This is hands down the best Turkish cookbook, recommended by a woman from Istanbul, that I could find. It's pretty too, great photos.
You are quite welcome Tod. I hope you are able to procure some.
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