Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times - Mark Bittman [4]
2. Add the stock, scallion, and watercress or arugula if you like and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then chill or serve. Just before serving, garnish with the herb(s).
VARIATION
Cucumber-Coconut Soup
Substitute 2 cups coconut milk and 1 cup water for the stock and, if you have it, nam pla (fish sauce) for the soy sauce. You can turn this simple soup into a hot-weather main course by topping it with some precooked shrimp (simply grilled would be my first choice) just before serving.
EUROPEAN-STYLE CUCUMBER SOUP
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 30 MINUTES
MOST OF THE time spent making soups like this one and the preceding Asian-Style Cucumber Soup goes to chilling: refrigerate the cucumbers as their moisture is drawn out; refrigerate the stock, yogurt, or sour cream that is their base; and, if time allows, refrigerate the soup itself so you can serve it not cool but really cold. And remember, the lively flavor of these derives largely from a load of herbs—vary them to your heart’s content, but don’t leave them out.
1½ cups chicken stock, preferably chilled
2 medium cucumbers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups yogurt, preferably whole-milk
2 shallots, minced, or about ¼ cup minced red onion or scallion
1 cup chopped watercress (optional)
1 cup roughly chopped fresh dill or mint
1. If the stock is not cold, throw it in the freezer while you prepare the cucumbers. Peel them, then cut them in half the long way; use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Slice them as thinly as possible (a mandoline is ideal for this). Mix them in a bowl with 2 teaspoons salt and let sit, refrigerated, for about 20 minutes.
2. Add the stock, black pepper, yogurt, shallots, and watercress if you like and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then chill or serve. Just before serving, garnish with the herb.
COLD PEA SOUP
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 30 MINUTES, PLUS TIME TO CHILL
THIS SOUP IS on the thin, almost drinkable, side. If that doesn’t appeal to you, use sour cream, perhaps a bit more than the quantity recommended here, or throw a peeled, diced potato in with the peas, which will give the final soup quite a bit of heft.
1 pound peas in the pod, snow peas, or sugar snap peas (frozen are perfectly acceptable)
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons heavy or sour cream, or more to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
1. Combine the peas and stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the peas are bright green and tender, 10 minutes or so. Cool for a few minutes. If you’re using peas, remove some from their pods for garnish (refrigerate until serving).
2. Pour into a blender and carefully blend until pureed. Add salt and pepper to taste, then force through a fairly fine strainer, discarding the solids. Stir or whisk in the cream and refrigerate (up to 2 days) before serving cold. Garnish with the reserved peas or some parsley.
PEA AND GINGER SOUP
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: 30 MINUTES
FRESH PEAS ARE inestimably better than frozen for munching, but by the time you cook them and mix them with ginger, they have lost much of their advantage; if you can’t find them or deal with them—the shelling does take a while—by all means use frozen.
2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons roughly chopped peeled fresh ginger, or more to taste (up to ¼ cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken or other stock
1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the peas and ginger are very tender, about 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes.
2. Pour into a blender and carefully blend until pureed. Return to the pan over medium-low heat and reheat gently, stirring occasionally. When the soup is hot, adjust the seasoning and serve.
EGGS IN SOUP
WHEN