Leftover parsley and walnut pesto is great with spaghetti.
This potato, leek, and broth base is a wonderful building block for an astounding number of flavorful, velvety soups. The recipe for fennel soup follows, but in place of the fennel, try adding a cup of chopped carrots, or corn off the cob, or chopped broccoli, or diced turnips. I could go on! The method is the same: First, you soften the vegetables, then add the broth and just a bit of cream, simmer, and purée. If you omit all the other vegetables, this becomes the perfect potato and leek soup; serve it chilled and you have a great vichyssoise.
There are almost endless possibilities for variation here. Potatoes are my favorite thickening agent for garlic soup, but it can also be thickened with a roux of flour and butter or with bread, the traditional choice in the South of France, where this dish is a specialty. Onions and scallions can be used instead of leeks, although the soup won’t have the same subtle taste. If you use the leeks, include most of the green leaves.
It takes very little work to make your own stock; mostly it is a matter of being at home for the several hours it takes to cook. A flavorful money saver that is practically fat- and salt-free, homemade stock can be frozen in small quantities and used as needed.
This soup is a delicious lesson in frugality. The corn kernels are cut off the ears, and then simmered along with those naked cobs, onions, garlic and the snap of fresh serrano chile to make a corn-infused broth that stands at attention. Purée, chill and serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and a sprinkle of chives. Or skip the dairy entirely to keep it completely vegan.
Ingredients
I wanted to call this recipe "Zuppa di Ceci con Pomodori," but my copy editor insisted that it be in English. But doesn't it sound better in Italian? For optimum flavor, use dried beans to make this hearty dish. However, the beans do require overnight soaking before being cooked, so in a pinch you can use canned garbanzos. Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta that lends itself well to this soup, but feel free to substitute any pasta you happen to have on hand.
Carolina Gold rice “grits” from Anson Mills are short, uneven pieces of rice that have been broken during the threshing process. They cook up creamier than long-grain white rice, which can be substituted in this recipe: pulse it in batches in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder for 5 seconds to create the same effect.
The master recipe and variations (Primal Soups) are the basic soups, the least complicated and often the most loved.
Soybeans are such an integral part of Asian cooking that tofu is often paired with edamame in the same preparation, showcasing the beans’ versatility. In this lovely Japanese soup, white silken tofu is surrounded by a green moat of pureed edamame. Traditionally, pods of fresh soybeans would be boiled, shelled, and hand mashed. You can liberate yourself by using frozen edamame and a blender.