Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [81]
Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly for 45 minutes to blend and soften the flavors. To serve, grate about an ounce of cheese into each of the bowls. Ladle the soup over the cheese.
Variations: Substitute dry sherry, dry vermouth, dry Madeira, dry Marsala, or red wine for the brandy.
Rub several baguette rounds with olive oil, then toast them until crunchy. Place in the bowls, then grate the cheese over them; ladle the soup around and over the rounds.
Garlic Broth: Simmer the soup as directed, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a large coffee filter into a medium pot. Reheat over low heat, then serve with or without the cheese.
Roasted Tomato Soup
Simplicity defined, this soup is best with garden-fresh tomatoes. Slow-roasting concentrates their flavor. Makes 4 servings
2 pounds Roma or plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 medium onion, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
Coarse-grained or kosher salt for garnish
Basil leaves, sliced into thin strips, for garnish
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.
Toss the tomatoes and onion with the olive oil on a large lipped baking sheet. Roast slowly, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have shriveled and the onion has softened and turned golden at the edges, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
If there are browned bits in the baking sheet (and if it’s flameproof), set it over medium heat, add a tablespoon or two of water, and scrape up those browned bits. Place the tomatoes, onion, and any of this juice from the pan in a large food processor or blender; process or blend until chunky-smooth. Alternatively, dice the tomatoes and onions on a chopping board, but make sure you catch and save every drop of juice.
Pour the chopped vegetables and all their juice into a large saucepan or a small Dutch oven. Add the broth and bay leaf; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
To serve, remove and discard the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into bowls; sprinkle the salt and basil over each serving.
Variations: Add up to 6 garlic cloves, peeled, with the tomatoes and onion.
Add ¼ cup dry sherry, dry vermouth, or dry white wine with the broth.
Add 2 teaspoons stemmed thyme with the bay leaf.
Stir 1 cup heavy cream into the soup with the broth.
Drizzle aged, syrupy balsamic vinegar over the soup in the bowls.
Set a small dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche in the center of each bowl.
Charred Tomato Soup: Prepare a gas barbecue for medium-heat cooking or make a medium-heat coal bed in a charcoal grill. Cut the onion into ½-inch slices; brush these and the tomato halves generously with olive oil. Place them on the grate about 4 inches from the heat. Cover and grill until charred, about 5 minutes. Turn and roast until charred on the other side, about 4 minutes. Process or blend as directed and continue with the recipe at step 4.
Pear and Leek Soup
This light soup is sweet yet rich, thanks to creamy Bartlett pears. Remember the rule for fruit: if it doesn’t smell like anything, it probably won’t taste like anything. To ripen pears, place them in a brown paper bag, seal, and set on the counter for 1 to 2 days. Makes 6 servings
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, washed carefully between the layers of any grit and sand, and thinly sliced
3 pounds ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
¾ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, preferably white pepper, for garnish
Chopped parsley leaves for garnish
Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven set over low heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the pears; cook, stirring often, until quite soft and the