Italian egg-drop soup.  That’s how I have heard versions of this soup described.  And there appear to be many versions, with light chicken broth, or added spinach or chicken. In fact, the first time I concocted this soup, I didn’t know stracciatella was an actual thing.  It was pure kitchen happenstance, and one little discovery I am glad to have made.

My version of stracciatella is made with roasted vegetable broth that is insanely flavorful and rich.  In fact, the broth is so rich, I originally wanted only the lightest of add-ins, and decided the delicate egg ribbons would give a bit of body without diluting the flavor.  And I hit that nail on the head. Only later did I see a recipe for stracciatella using fresh chicken stock did it occur to me that I had stumbled upon something classic, and could consider my humble little accident a gourmet discovery. The origins of this broth itself were kind of a misstep, a side alley I went down in an attempt at creating a thick vegetable soup.  But this method of roasting the vegetables, then simmering in water with herbs creates a broth so packed with flavor any initial doubts about ”plain old vegetable broth” will disappear.  Besides, the enchanting fragrance of roasting, then simmering, vegetables fills your house with the smell of love and comfort.

I love this broth on its own, sipped out of a mug, particular when feeling a little puny.  It feels fortifying.  Add the delicate threads of egg, and it has an added protein boost and a bit more body.  But this broth is versatile.  Stir in some cooked small pasta like ditalini, acini di pepe, or orzo and it takes on a whole new dimension.

Roasted Vegetable Stracciatella

3 medium onions

5 carrots

5 celery stalks

5 leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned, with a few green leaves reserved

5 medium tomatoes

6 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

A few sprigs of thyme

A few sprigs rosemary

A handful of celery leaves

8 cups water

4 egg yolks

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the onions into eighths and place in a large rimmed baking sheet.  You may need to use two.  Cut the carrots, celery, leeks into chunks and add to the baking sheet.  Quarter the tomatoes and tuck them into the vegetables, all in one layer.  Place the peeled garlic cloves on top of the vegetables (don’t let the garlic touch the bottom of the tray – it will burn) and drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil over everything. Roast the vegetables until soft and slightly browned, about 45 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, make a bouquet garni with the herbs.  Lay out one or two sections of green leek leaves on the counter, then place the bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and celery leaves on top of the leaves and roll into a tight little cigar.  Tie it up with kitchen twine.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and scrape everything into a large Dutch oven.  Heat the tray on the stove, and deglaze the pan with a little water, scraping up any browned bits or stuck pieces.  Pour this and add it to the soup pot.  Add the bouquet garni. Pour in 8 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and carefully spoon the soup into the strainer.  Press on the solids to extract as much broth as possible.  You will probably have to do this in a couple of batches.  Discard the pressed vegetable pulp.  Rinse out the stock pot. Rinse out the strainer, then line it with two layers of cheesecloth.  Pour the broth through the strainer into the stockpot.  Bring the stock back to a boil.  Season to taste with salt.

Thoroughly whisk the egg yolks in measuring jug with a pouring spout.  When the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and stir it well to get it moving in a circle with a little vortex.  Slowly drizzle the eggs into the swirling broth, running your spoon through the stream to cut little ribbons.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4

French Onion Soup is such a classic.  It’s what you eat on your first trip to France, and even if you eat it at the restaurant down the street at home all the time, it is still special and memorable.  Soupe à L’oignon Gratinée. The rich onion-y broth, the crispy bread soaking up the flavor, the gooey melted cheese dripping off your spoon.  It’s delicious to savor and fun to eat.

There are a million recipes, methods and family secrets for French Onion Soup, and I in no way would presume to replace your time-honored tradition.  But this is how I make it, rich with layers of flavor and every French twist I could come up with.  I have studied many recipes, eaten more bowls than I care to remember and worked for years to perfect it – for me.  It may not pass muster with fine French chefs or traditional French grandmothers, but it is deep and rich and lovely and infinitely comforting.  It retains its onion essence, with the complexity of beef broth and the crisp, sweet apple cider that pairs with the onions beautifully.  A touch of Calvados, the French apple brandy, a splash of vermouth  and a healthy dash of Dijon mustard meld to create a subtly, but decidedly Gallic flavor.

Now, as much as I love a good onion soup, bad onion soup is often just salty broth with stringy onions in a mass at the bottom covered with rubbery cheese.  To avoid that onion lump, I prefer to puree the soup base to get an onion flavor throughout the soup.  You can skip this if you want, but I really think you’ll be impressed with the results.

There is a French bistro here that serves a lovely French Onion Soup, topped as it should be with molten bubbling cheese, the bowl having been placed under the restaurant broiler – known as a salamander – to melt and brown.  I ordered it on a date several years ago, and it arrived so unbelievably hot, that I seared the inside of my mouth when took my very lady-like first spoonful.  It is a testament to my fortitude and fine upbringing that I did not scream and spit the soup on my date.  Sitting through the rest of the meal, trying to delicately chew my salad, was agony, and the soup was not cool enough to finish until dessert came.  This has altered my usual preparation.  I often toast the bread slices lightly on one side, turn them over, sprinkle with grated cheese and melt these cheesy toasts under the broiler, then float them on the soup.  I give the traditional directions below, but you might consider the less fraught method  And I chose fontina as the best melty cheese with a flavor that doesn’t overpower the soup.

Almost –Too-French Onion Soup

Using yellow and red onions adds an extra layer of flavor, but all yellow onions could be used.  I prepare the onions by using the grating blade in the food processor. Placing the paper on the onions helps them to soften and brown and retain their rich flavor.  Brandy can be used in place of the Calvados, but the Calvados adds a special touch. 

5 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups diced red onion

2 cups diced yellow onion

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon Calvados

2 Tablespoons white vermouth

4 Tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 cups apple cider

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

7 cups low-sodium beef broth

sliced white bread or baguette

1 cup grated fontina cheese

Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit inside your Dutch oven and press it down in the pan to create the shape of a tight-fitting lid and set aside.  You’ll press this over the onions to help them caramelize. By the way, this is called a cartouche.

Melt butter with olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat.  When the butter has just melted, add the onions and sauté until translucent and just starting to brown.  Add the Calvados and vermouth and stir to deglaze the pan.  Add the brown sugar, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and 1/2 cup cider.  Press the prepared round of waxed directly over the onions.  Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the onions are soft and sweet and brown, about 20 minutes. 

Remove the paper round, stir in mustard and cook 5 more minutes.  Add the remaining one cup cider and 3 cups beef broth.  Bring to a simmer.  Puree with an immersion blender, or puree in a blender in batches (be very careful as hot liquids will pop the top off the blender, so hold it tight with a tea towel).  Return to pan.  Add the remaining broth and bring to a low boil. Simmer for ten minutes and check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.  Remove from heat and dish into oven proof bowls placed on a baking sheet.  Top with bread and grated cheese.  Place under the broiler in the oven until the cheese melts and begins to brown. Be careful when serving as the bowls will be very hot.

The soup, without the bread and cheese, will keep for 1 to 2 days covered in the refrigerator. Slowly reheat over medium heat. The soup also freezes beautifully.

Serves 6

Here we are again. The days are cold and a little gloomy, the holidays are over, and it is time for hunkering down at home. Right about now, I imagine everyone is craving a nice big bowl of warm, comforting goodness. It’s always nice to have a little twist on a classic, and mine is this creamy chicken chili with the added touch of black beans along with the white – that’s why I call it Tuxedo Chili. Plus, this version is simple to make and packed with flavor. And what’s better on these chilly winter nights than a big, steaming bowl of chili?

I make this chili all the time, and I’ve always thought it’s really tasty. I shared the recipe with a friend and now every time we get together with folks, he tells people about how much he likes my “black and white” chili recipe. He says he makes it all the time. He’s a good cook, and a good eater, so I trust his opinion.

I love a meal like this with family or friends – everyone will love it, and putting out bowls of cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro or any other toppings you’d like for everyone to tailor their own bowl is always fun. Serve this with warm tortillas, corn bread, or try Super-Quick Smoky Cheddar Loaf for a hearty, warming meal.

Tuxedo Chili

Black and White Bean Chicken Chili

If you prefer, you can use ground turkey.

1 medium white onion

2 garlic cloves

1 Tablespoon oil

2 pounds ground chicken

2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups water

3 (15 ounce) cans canellini or great northern beans

2 cups chicken broth

1 (16 ounce) can black beans

1 (16 ounce) package frozen white shoepeg corn

1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles

Chop the onion and garlic finely. Add to the oil in a large Dutch oven . Saute over medium high heat until soft and translucent. Do not brown. Remove the onions and garlic to a bowl and set aside. (If the onions brown and overcook, the final color of the chili will be muddy. It will still taste delicious, but won’t look as nice. You can always top it with lots of cheese). Add the ground chicken to the pan and cook until browning slightly, breaking up into small pieces. Mix the oregano, cumin, chili powder, pepper and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the chicken. Add the onions and garlic. Pour in three cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until the water has reduced by half and the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse two cans of white beans. Place in a blender with the chicken broth and puree until smooth. Drain and rinse the remaining white beans and the black beans. Pour the pureed beans into the chicken mixture and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, add the drained beans, corn, and green chiles and simmer until cooked through and thickened, about 30 minutes.

Serve in big bowls topped with grated cheese, sour cream and chopped cilantro.

This will hold, cooled and covered, overnight and reheated before serving. It will also freeze beautifully.

Serves 6

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. I guess Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby have made chestnuts part of the holiday season for ever. I never really knew what that line was all about until my first holiday season in London, where vendors sell roasting chestnuts from special carts on the main shopping streets, and the fragrance they produce really does make the air smell like Christmas. We don’t do that here, so it was a new experience for me.  In fact, it has only been in the last few years that chestnuts started to appear in stores here.  For me, the chestnut frenzy starts when I first see the jars of roasted and peeled chestnuts on the shelf.  I start going on a spree, stocking up just in case I can’t find them again.  I always use chestnuts in my Thanksgiving stuffing, but I inevitably buy too many jars, so I’ve become pretty creative at using them up, like my Crispy Chestnut Veal.

But here I have interpreted the sweet, silky flavor of chestnuts into a creamy, lovely soup perfect for the holidays.  It can be a nice, warming hearty dish with some good country bread and a winter salad, but also makes a most elegant starter for a seated holiday dinner.  And if you are of a mind, it would be brilliant served in shot glasses passed around at a swanky cocktail party.

I always buy chestnuts ready-roasted in jars or vacuum-sealed bags, but if you like to buy whole chestnuts and roast and peel them yourself, by all means, go ahead.

Roasted Chestnut Bisque

Marjoram is an amazing complement to chestnuts, but if you can’t find it, substitute thyme.  Don’t skip the marjoram oil, as it really adds the perfect finishing touch.  You could sprinkle some chestnut pieces or small toasted croutons on the bisque as well.

For the Bisque:

1 medium-sized yellow onion

2 carrots

3 celery stalks

1 medium-sized leek

¼ cup olive oil

6 Tablespoon cognac or brandy

4 cups chicken stock

2 (7.4 ounce) jars roasted and peeled chestnuts

6 – 7 sprigs marjoram

1 ½ cups heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Marjoram Oil (see below)

Dice the onion, carrot, celery and leek.  I do this in the food processor pulse just until everything is chopped.  In a large Dutch oven, sauté the vegetables in ¼ cup olive oil over medium-high heat until soft and tender, and the onion and leeks are translucent.  Add the cognac and stir, scraping up and bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until the cognac is evaporated.  Add the stock, the chestnuts and the marjoram sprigs (count how many so you can take them out later).  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer the soup for 45 minutes.  Leave the soup to cool until it’s safe to put in the blender. Meanwhile, prepare the marjoram oil (see below).

Fish out the marjoram stems, then transfer the soup to a blender in batches and puree until smooth.  After blending each batch, pour the soup through a wire mesh strainer set over a large bowl and push the soup through with a wooden spoon or spatula.  There won’t be much in the way of solids left behind, but straining the soup creates the velvety texture that makes this bisque so elegant. (For an even velvetier texture, you could push the soup through the strainer a second time).  When you have strained all the soup, wipe out the Dutch oven and return the soup to the pot.  At this point, you can cover the soup and refrigerate it for up to two days before completing it.

When ready to serve the soup, heat it gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally, but do not let it boil.  Slowly stir in the cream, incorporating it fully into the soup, then warm through.  Serve immediately drizzled with marjoram oil.

Makes 4 large bowls or 6 small

For the Marjoram Oil:

6 Tablespoons olive oil

4 sprigs marjoram

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan just until bubbles appear on the surface and the oil is shimmering.  Remove from the heat and leave to cool for two minutes, then drop in the marjoram sprigs, cover the pan and leave to cool.  Strain the cooled oil into a jar or small spouted measuring cup for drizzling on the soup. The oil can be kept in an airtight jar for up to a week.

This post is part of Share Our Strength’s Share Our Holiday Table a virtual, progressive fundraising dinner designed to raise awareness of child hunger in the U.S. during the critical holiday season.  As you enjoy the bounty of the table this season, please think of those who are not so fortunate and donate to Share Our Strength.  And visit the Share Our Holiday Table site to see all the amazing bloggers who are participating and check out their great recipes.

I was once invited to bring a soup to a soup potluck and I readily agreed, because I love soup and getting together with friends to eat soup is a great idea.  But I forgot that I had agreed to it, until the hostess called a day before to ask what soup I was bringing.  For reasons I cannot fathom, I blurted out “Italian Sausage and White Bean.”  I had no recipe for such a soup; had never made one before.  But there you go, I was stuck.  I had eaten a version of this somewhere, but was left to my own devices in making a batch.  But it turned out great, really great.  Surprisingly packed with flavor considering the simple ingredient list.  It was a big hit at the soup night, very different from the other offerings, plus I think it impressed people that I heated it up and added the pasta at the last minute, then shaved parmesan over each bowl and served some fingers of fresh, warm focaccia.

This is a hearty, comforting soup, perfect for chilly fall nights.  You can make it ahead before adding the pasta, then reheat it and drop in the pasta just before serving.  Adding the orecchiette at the end keeps the pasta from getting too soggy and the broth from thickening and soaking into the pasta. Orecchiette translates to little ears, and its little bowl-like shape makes it great for soup, as it will hold some of the tasty broth. If you can’t find orecchiette, use a nice pasta like farfalle or bowties.

Buy a bunch of regular spinach for this soup. I know you are thinking that a bag of baby spinach is easier but baby spinach is more difficult to cut into the nice shreds you want.  Big pieces of spinach are unappealing and hard to eat.

Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup with Orecchiette

I have never needed to add salt to this soup, so taste it at the very end before you add any seasoning.

4 Tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds sweet Italian sausage (bulk meat, or casings removed)

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

2 (15-ounce) can canellini beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups (1 large bunch) spinach, rinsed

1 cup dried orecchiette pasta

parmesan cheese for serving

Pour the olive oil in a large Dutch oven and add the sausage.  Brown the meat, breaking it up into bite-sized pieces, until it has good golden color all over and is no longer pink. Remember this is soup and will be eaten with a spoon, so you want the pieces the right size.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.  Drain any accumulated fat. I prefer to dump everything into a colander and shake it a bit.  Draining as much fat as possible keeps the finished soup from being greasy.

Pour in the broth and tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. 

Meanwhile, cut the spinach leaves into a nice chiffonade.  To do this, stack up some leaves, cut them in half along the stem, roll them like a cigar, then slice into small strips.

When the soup is boiling, drop in the drained beans and stir.  Remove from the heat, add the spinach and cover.  Leave for 10 minutes.  At this point, the soup will keep for up to a day in the fridge.

When ready to serve, bring the soup to a boil, drop in the orecchiette and stir.  Cover the pot and cook for 10 – 12 minutes until the pasta is cooked.  Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.

Serves 6 

The first time I ever heard about ajo blanco, or white gazpacho, was on a family vacation to southern Spain. We were having lunch at the lovely parador San Francisco on the grounds of the famous Alhambra in Granada. When I saw the menu description of creamy garlic and almond soup with grapes, I had to try it and I have been glad I did ever since. I only knew about classic gazpacho – the cold tomato and vegetable soup – and at the time I was not much of a fan, as I think I had only had a version using V-8 juice and celery salt (don’t worry, I have since learned my lesson). I was intrigued by a creamy, non-tomato version and it was delicious.

As I so often do, I asked the hostess in the dining room how the ajo blanco was made. She laughed and told me she had absolutely no idea how it was made in the restaurant, but outlined her recipe for making it at home. I took notes and brought them home with me. I tinkered, but never quite got the recipe right. Over the years, I read other recipes for the soup, all basically what she had explained, and finally managed to hit the mark. I think I had forgotten to write down the sherry vinegar.

Traditionally, and in the first serving I had in Spain, this soup is served with whole or halved chilled green grapes. The sweet grapes cut the tanginess of the garlic and add an interesting and unusual note. But I have to say, it’s not my favorite way to eat it. I have had it with finely diced cucumber piled in the middle of the bowl, which is very refreshing, but this Spanish-style picada of almonds, parsley and lemon zest is my preferred addition.

Like all cold soups, this is a perfect hot weather lunch, but is great as a starter for a dinner party since it can be prepared ahead. You can even pour it into the bowls and leave them in the fridge until ready to be sprinkled with picada and served. If you are of a mind to, this is the perfect soup to pass around as shooters at a cocktail party.

Ajo Blanco
White Gazpacho with Parsley Picada

For the Gazpacho:

1 ½ cups firm white bread cubes (no crusts), day old or left to dry on the counter for several hours
6 ounces slivered almonds
2 large garlic cloves
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 ¾ cups chilled water
1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Picada:
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
3 Tablespoons slivered almonds
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest

Place the bread cubes in a bowl and cover with cold water, about 2 ½ cups. Leave to soak for 5 – 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the almonds and garlic cloves in a blender and grind to a fine paste. Drizzle in a little of the chilled water to keep things going if needed. Drain the bread cubes and squeeze out any excess water with your hands (discard the soaking water). Crumble the soaked bread in the blender, add the chilled water, salt and sherry vinegar and blend until smooth and creamy. Really let that blender work. When it is nice and smooth, drizzle the olive oil in while the motor is running, until nice and thick and creamy. Stop and start the blender if needed to get all the oil down in the vortex.

Pour the gazpacho into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until completely chilled or overnight. Taste and whisk in salt as needed. You can whisk in a little more chilled water if you like.

For the Picada:

Place the parsley, almonds and lemon zest in a small food processor and pulse until finely chopped. You can also do this by hand with a heavy knife.

When ready to serve, ladle the Ajo Blanco into individual bowls and sprinkle a little picada in the center of each bowl. You may choose not to use all of the picada, but any extra can be brought to the table.

Serves 6

Fresh Tomatoes at Borough Market, London

I love tomato soup, love, love, love it.  All kinds, all flavors, hot or cold, even from a can.  But it’s so easy to make it yourself.  I love to whip up a big pot, and stash away servings in the freezer to have on hand whenever the mood strikes.  In the winter months, I make it with good canned Italian tomatoes, but in the summer when local tomatoes are in abundance I go fresh all the way. 

But I get stuck sometimes – one big pot of soup, lots of servings stashed in the freezer, what flavor?  I may have a taste for tomato and dill now, but in a month, after a long day, when all I want to do is heat up some soup, will I be craving a more Italian flair?  So this idea came to me one day.  Make the simplest base for soup with rich, roasted fresh tomatoes, and then I can flavor it up as I’d like each time I heat up a bowl.

This recipe makes about 6 cups, which works great for me.  I freeze some 2 cup bags and a couple of 1 cup bags.  One cup is a great lunch or on the side with a sandwich, 2 cups makes dinner.  Feel completely free to double the recipe, but you may need to put the tomatoes on two baking sheets and rotate them in the oven.

Tomato Soup Base

This is a very simple soup base to keep in the freezer, then add the flavors that take your fancy.

6 large ripe red tomatoes

1 large yellow onion

1 large shallot

3 cloves of garlic

32 ounces rich chicken stock

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Halve the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds.  Place the halves cut size up on a baking sheet (lining it with non-stick foil makes the whole thing easier), then drizzle with a little olive oil.  Roast the tomatoes until they are wrinkled and beginning to collapse in on themselves, 40 – 50 minutes depending on the size of your tomatoes.  A little black char on the skin is okay, but don’t let the tomatoes burn.

Meanwhile, dice the onion, shallots and garlic cloves.  Pour 2 – 3 Tablespoons of olive oil into a 5 quart stockpot or Dutch oven.  Add the onions and shallots and sauté over medium heat until soft and translucent, but not browned.  Add the garlic and sauté a few minutes more.  Remove from the heat until the tomatoes are roasted.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and add to the pot with the onion mixture.  Put the pot back on high heat and break up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon.  Pour in the chicken stock and continue to break up the tomatoes.  Bring the soup to a boil, boil for 4 -5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for a least half an hour.  During this time, use a stick blender to puree the soup base.  You can also simmer the soup, leave it to cool a bit then carefully puree in a blender in batches.

Taste the soup and season lightly with salt and pepper.  The point of this base is that you can add flavors as you please, so don’t go overboard on seasoning now.

Cool the soup completely, ladle into ziptop freezer bags in the portions you prefer (I usually do some one-portion and two-portion bags).  Freeze.

Makes 6 cups

Variations:

There is no end to how you use this base to make your favorite flavored tomato soup.  How much of the added ingredients you use will depend on how large a serving of soup you are making.  These directions are for 2 cups of base.

Italian Tomato Soup

Place the thawed soup base in a saucepan with another clove of finely chopped garlic, a handful of chopped basil leaves and a few Tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.  Season to taste

Fennel and Tomato Soup

Finely dice some fennel bulb and a little of the feathery fronds.  Saute over medium heat until soft.  Add a splash of pernod or white vermouth, then the thawed tomato soup base.   Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.

Tomato Dill Soup with Vodka

Place the thawed soup base in a saucepan, then stir in a nice handful of chopped fresh dill.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or so.  Stir in a splash of vodka, then season to taste.

Tomato Curry Soup

Saute the finely chopped white of a green onion in a little oil.  Sprinkle over curry powder to taste and stir until fragrant.  Add the thawed tomato soup base, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and stir in 2 Tablespoons coconut milk.  Heat through, and serve topped with shredded coconut, chopped cashews, chopped cilantro and chopped green onion tops.

Soup seems to be a universal comfort food. The French have their onion soup, the Italians minestrone, and Moroccans love harira.  For me, to be honest, tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich are the most comforting combination on earth. And Vietnamese pho is certainly part of this long list.

My parents are big fans of a Vietnamese restaurant near the neighborhood, but I never ventured much onto the unfamiliar side of the menu.  On my first visit, I ordered some cashew chicken bowl, and then came out my parents’ pho.  Big, steaming bowls of noodles and meat in a steaming, aromatic broth, delivered with a big side plate of fresh, green herbs. I was not willing to admit that I had ordered poorly, so I stuck up my nose at the pho.

Not long after that, I had one of the best bowls of soup I have ever experienced.  At a market in Cambodia, I marveled at a bowl of beef noodle soup that smelled so fantastically delicious, it absolutely enveloped me, even overpowering the smells of the market around me. The broth was so fragrant with chunks of beef and a nice slick of grease on the top that coated the noodles as I plucked them out.  I have never forgotten that soup, and know I will never truly recreate that moment.

So now when I go to the Vietnamese place, I order pho.  Different types, depending on my mood.  I don’t know what the Cambodian equivalent of pho is, but I have attempted to create my own equivalent.  I know it’s a simple version.  I don’t simmer bones to make my own stock or use any overly exotic ingredients – I’ll leave that to the restaurant chefs.  But this is warming, comforting and kind in its own way. This soup is easy to make, but impressive to serve.

Simple Beef Pho

The plate of fresh herbs presented along with the steaming soup make this a real treat.

4 cups low sodium beef broth

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

3 cloves garlic

1 shallot, peeled and cut into chunks

1 Tablespoon sugar

3 Tablespoons fish sauce

8 ounces rice stick noodles

6 ounces top sirloin steak

To serve:

Cilantro

Mint

Basil

Pour the broth into a large saucepan and add the spices, shallot, garlic, sugar and fish sauce.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes.

While the broth is infusing, soak the rice noodles according to the package instructions.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

Slice the beef as thinly as possible.  It is easiest to do this with cold beef and a very sharp knife.  Putting the beef in the freezer for 15 minutes before slicing will also help.

When the broth has infused, drain through a sieve, discarding the solids.  Wipe out the saucepan and return the broth to it.  Place the noodles in a large serving bowl or in individual bowls. Bring the broth to a boil and drop in the beef slices.  Cook for just a minute, maybe two, until the beef is just warmed through.  Immediately transfer the beef slices to the noodle bowl, then ladle the broth over.

Serve the pho with leaves of cilantro, mint and basil to be sprinkled on top.

Serves 2

There are moments in the kitchen when you remember why you love to cook so much.  That flash of personal genius that leads to the creation of something really great.  A perfect moment of synergy when you find a way to combine your favorite ingredients into one sublime dish.  This Corn and Blue Cheese Chowder, begun and ended with smoky, crispy bacon represents that moment for me.  It’s nothing overly fancy, and surprisingly easy to prepare, but it is truly a big bowl of my favorite things. 

Served with a warm slice of Muddy Bread or Super-Quick Smoky Cheddar Loaf, this chowder could not be a more comforting meal.

Corn and Blue Cheese Chowder

This soup can be made one day ahead and refrigerated tightly covered.  Gently reheat before serving, adding additional half and half if necessary.

6 strips bacon

½ cup chopped onion (from 1 small or ½ a large onion)

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 baking potatoes, peeled

32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

1 (10-ounce) bag cups frozen corn kernels

1 cup half and half

5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled, plus more for topping

Kosher salt

In a Dutch oven or stock pot, sauté bacon over medium heat until crisp and remove to paper towels to drain.  Drain and reserve the bacon drippings and carefully wipe out the pan with a damp paper towel to remove any burned or dark brown bits.  This will prevent the final color of the soup from being muddy. Pour about 4 Tablespoons of bacon dripping back into the pot, enough to coat the bottom. Add onions to drippings in pot and sauté until soft and turning golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a further minute.

Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into small cubes, remembering that this will be eaten with a spoon, so they should not be too big. Add the potato cubes to the pot and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.  Sauté for two minutes, stirring frequently, then pour in chicken broth.  Add the corn and simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the half and half, stirring to combine.  When the soup is heated through, add the bleu cheese a handful at a time, stirring well after each addition.  Season to taste with salt.

Serve topped with crumbled bacon and additional blue cheese.

 Serves 6

In the many years I was planning events professionally, clients hosting lavish buffets, or even rather simple ones, always came around to that one question – “Shouldn’t we serve some kind of vegetable that’s, you know, healthy?” Not creamy spinach dip, or cheesy stuffed mushrooms, but something that would presumably appease the guest who didn’t want, well, food. Caterers were full of suggestions, but it always seemed to come back to the old stand-by – the crudités tray.  Cut vegetables surrounding a bowl of dip.  Easy – and cheap.  Some caterers made these vegetable trays absolute works of art, with a variety of veg in beautiful colors with a choice of fresh-made dips.  But the truth was invariably that this tray of food was never empty at the end of the event.  And we always cleaned up lots of plates with a stray carrot or broccoli floret in a puddle of dip sitting next to the crumpled up napkin.  People go through the buffet line and put some vegetables on their plate to look virtuous, but never actually eat them. And despite many efforts, it was virtually impossible to convince a client that this stab at virtue was unnecessary.  After a long night on my feet at an event, I never got to have any leftovers of the good stuff, but was always welcome to as much raw veg as I could carry.

And I am guilty of this behavior myself.  When entertaining at home, I’d plan a spectacular spread of rich and delicious foods, then right at the end feel guilty for not offering anything “light”, so outcome the pre-cut vegetables and fat-free yogurt based dip.  I even once put the crudités tray on my beautiful buffet, but thought it ruined the look that I had so carefully constructed and put it back in the fridge.  I, in fact, think that the success of the “baby” carrot (really just whole carrots cut to look like miniature versions) was built on buffet guilt.

So this recipe was born of an overabundance of baby carrots, left over after a pitiful attempt to healthify a party spread.  Roasting the carrots and using carrot juice make this an intensely flavored soup.  I actually prefer canned 100% carrot juice or the kind that comes in tetrapack boxes from the juice aisle at the store to the refrigerated variety, which I find a bit sweet and expensive.  If you can’t find any of these, low-sodium vegetable stock will work. You can, of course, use an equal weight of peeled whole carrots cut into chunks.

Roasted Carrot and Cumin Soup

Scatter a little chopped fresh cilantro over the soup if you’d like to add a dash of color. This is particularly good accompanied by toast slathered with cream cheese.

1 (16 ounce) bag baby carrots

1 large shallot, cut into wedges

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 ¾ cup 100% carrot juice

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (or to taste)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the carrots and the shallot in the olive oil and spread in one layer in a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast for 45 minutes to one hour, until the carrots are soft, wrinkled and browned in places and the shallot is lightly browned.

Transfer the carrots and shallots to a blender, and add half of the carrot juice, the spices and the salt.  Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the carafe if needed.  Add the remaining juice and puree until smooth and combined.

Pour the contents into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until warmed through.

Makes 2 large bowls or 4 small ones