Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [87]
Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and celery; cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook until slightly softened at the edges, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the chopped poblanos, thyme, cumin, salt, and pepper; cook until aromatic, about 20 seconds. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the pan’s bottom. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer slowly until the potatoes are quite soft, about 45 minutes.
Ladle half the liquid and vegetables into a large food processor fitted with the chopping blade or into a large blender; process or blend until smooth.
Pour the puree back into the soup and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the sour cream and cilantro, cover, and set aside off the heat for 5 minutes before serving.
Variations: Fry 2 ounces pancetta, chopped, in the butter with the onion and celery until crisp.
Stir 1½ cups fresh corn kernels or frozen corn, thawed, into the soup with the potatoes.
Stir 2 ounces shredded Cheddar into the soup with the sour cream.
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An Immersion Blender
This thin, handheld blender has blades on one end; it can be immersed directly in a soup or sauce to puree it right in the pan. When the blender is on, move it up and down, stirring the sauce to get all the solids in contact with the blades. Keep the blades off the pan’s bottom to avoid nicking nonstick surfaces; keep the electrical cord away from the heat.
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Grain and Legume Soups
These soups begin to cross the line into full-fledged main courses. They’re hearty and rich—some are pureed; others are left chunky for texture and tooth.
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Southwestern Corn Chowder
Cumin and corn are a savory/sweet contrast at the heart of some of the best cooking in the American Southwest. Pureeing half the soup gives it a creamy texture but leaves a lot of the vegetables intact. In the end, it’s strictly optional—you could puree none of the soup. Cream is optional, too, because the potato thickens the soup quite a bit. Makes 4 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ears corn, husked, the kernels cut off
1 large Russet or baking potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 teaspoons stemmed thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup dry white wine
4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream, optional
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Swirl in the olive oil, then add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the corn and potato; cook, stirring often, until the potato pieces begin to brown slightly and soften at the corners, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the thyme, cumin, and dry mustard. Cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 20 seconds. Add the wine, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced to a thick glaze, scraping up any browned bits on the pan’s bottom, about 3 minutes.
Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer slowly, uncovered, until the potatoes are quite tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
If desired, ladle or pour half the soup into a large food processor fitted with a chopping blade or into a large blender; process or blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl or canister once or twice. Pour the puree back into the soup.
Stir in the cream, if desired, and heat until just bubbling. Season with salt and pepper.
Variations: Garnish with seeded diced red and green bell peppers.
Add up to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the thyme.
Substitute dry sherry, dry vermouth, dry Madeira, Cognac, or brandy for the wine.
Stir in ½ pound lump crabmeat, picked over