Get Cooking_ 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen - Mollie Katzen [9]
STYLE IT
The aesthetic and psychological impact of a simple garnish can’t be overstated. Set aside some of the herbs used in making a soup to top each serving. Or add a dollop of sour cream, yogurt, crème fraîche, or salsa, or a drizzle of good olive oil. Grated Parmesan or crumbled feta or goat cheese works well with many soups. And for crunch, sprinkle a few croutons or crumbled tortilla chips on top.
GO-WITHS ROUNDING OUT A SOUP MEAL
Soup can definitely be a one-bowl meal. But depending on your appetite and your mood, you might want to add a little something to round out the menu.
SALAD Match the dressing to the style of the soup. I’ve given you some recommendations with the recipes (kind of like wine-and-food pairings, except it’s soup-and-salad pairings), and you can take it from there.
For a filling, nutritious, and inexpensive dinner, simply ladle some soup over a bowl of cooked rice.
A vegetable or potato side dish
SLICED TOMATOES Drizzle with olive oil, feta, olives, and herbs.
GREAT BREAD Warm or toast a few slices of crusty bread or cornbread—store-bought or homemade (see Chapter 4: Vegetarian Entrées).
Sliced deli meats
Some good cheese
roasted garlic paste
A GREAT INGREDIENT FOR SOUP
Makes 6 tablespoons
This recipe is vegan.
Roasting garlic completely transforms its flavor. It’s still pungent, but the sharpness is greatly softened. Use Roasted Garlic Paste for mashing into soups, potatoes, sauces, or dressings—also for spreading on crackers or little toasts as an appetizer; topping grilled chicken, fish, or steak; or tossing into cooked vegetables. This will keep well (packed into a small, tightly covered container and topped with a slick of olive oil) for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator—or indefinitely in the freezer. (Never store it at room temperature—it needs to stay cold.)
3 whole heads of garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position (if using a full-size oven) and preheat the oven (or toaster oven) to 375°F. Line a small baking pan with foil.
2. Slice off and discard the very topmost tips of each garlic head. Stand the heads, cut side up, on the foil. Carefully pour about 1 teaspoon of the olive oil onto the cut surface of each head. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bulbs feel soft when gently pressed. (Larger bulbs will take longer.)
3. When cool enough to handle, break each bulb into individual cloves and squeeze the pulp onto a plate. Use a fork to mash the garlic, gradually adding the remaining olive oil as you mash. Use right away, or refrigerate or freeze with a little olive oil until use.
homemade chicken noodle soup
Makes 4 to 5 servings
Canned chicken noodle soup is about to become a thing of your past. This straightforward version is all about making (and keeping) it real: big chunks of chicken, wide noodles, plenty of carrots and celery. For the broth, go for the kind sold in boxes, and choose a good-quality brand, preferably organic. To make this soup even easier, you can replace the chicken breasts with some leftover rotisserie chicken or other cooked chicken meat. Just shred enough to make about 2 cups and add it to the soup along with the noodles.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
2 medium carrots, sliced ¼-inch thick
2 stalks celery, sliced ¼-inch thick
8 cups (2 quarts) chicken broth
2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ pound wide egg noodles
Freshly ground black pepper
A handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. Place a soup pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion softens.
2. Add the carrots and celery and continue cooking,