Category Archives: Soups

Fresh Fava Bean & Leek Soup

Worth the trouble?

Absolutely. Fresh young fava beans are springtime’s sweetest pleasure. They are a delectable seasonal treat. True, they take a little effort to prepare but they are definitely worth the trouble.

Condemned by ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras and forever associated with Hannibal Lechter in “Silence of the Lambs”, fava beans have a long history.

It is one of the oldest cultivated beans in Europe and a staple of the Mediterranean diet for over 5000 years. For some unknown reason, fava beans continue to be ignored in America. Some growers blame the lack of popularity on the laborious task of shelling the bean. And unless you grew up in an Italian, Spanish, French or Greek household, you are likely missing out on their wonderful sweet earthy flavor.

A spring staple all around the Mediterranean, they can be extremely versatile. Try grilling them whole in their pods and serve them with a drizzle of olive oil. Mash or puree them and spread them on crostini. Make a bowl of soup out of them. Add them to risottos. Toss them in pasta, or salads. And if you are lucky enough to get your hands on fresh, young, tender fava beans, try them raw with some pecorino cheese and a glass of wine as they do in Tuscany.

There is no fast way to prepare fava beans. Once shucked from their pods, the debate is whether to remove their leathery skin or not. Some cultures do, and some don’t. Although I don’t have a specific preference – I have consumed the beans both ways, and I do tend to buy young beans. In my opinion, this eliminates the need for double shelling. So look for glossy, firm, bright green pods when choosing fava beans.

The following recipe is a wonderful spring fava bean soup with leeks, watercress and granny smith apples.

How to double-shell the fava beans:

Remove the beans from their pods. Place them in a pot of boiling water and blanch them for about 2 minutes. Drain and then place them in cold water until thoroughly cooled. Do not let them sit too long in the water. To remove the milky white skin, peel away the top of the shell with you finger nail and simply squeeze the other end of the shell to pop the bean out of their skin.

Fresh Fava Bean & Leek Soup

Ingredients

2 cups fresh double-shelled fava beans
1 bunch watercress
3 large leeks sliced
2 granny smith apples peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Instructions

In a large pot, heat butter and olive oil. Add leeks, fava beans and granny smith apples. Sauté until tender but not brown, about ten minutes.
Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash and trim the watercress removing any tough stems
Ladle the hot soup into a blender or food processor, add uncooked watercress and mix until very smooth.
Return soup to pot and season with salt and pepper.
Reheat if necessary. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and some croutons...

Notes

You can sauté the watercress with the rest of the vegetables if you wish but this will change the color of the soup. To keep the soup bright green do not cook the watercress. The leaves will wilt as soon as you add them to the hot liquid.

French Onion Soup

What do the Winter Olympic Games have to do with French Onion Soup?

Absolutely nothing!

Except the thought of France being so far behind Canada, made me crave this French comfort soup.

French Onion Soup

We’ve been watching the Winter Olympic Games for the past few days. So far Canada is way ahead of France in medal counts.

I am not happy about that. Dan is Canadian (also, we are both US citizens) so you can only imagine what it is like in our household supporting different teams.

Dan & I see eye-to-eye on a lot of things but when it comes to supporting our home teams we are rivals.

Don’t get me wrong, marriage is still more important than sports, or so they say, but it’s fun to get into the spirit of a friendly rivalry once in a while. It keeps things interesting if you know what I mean…

I must say, this soup never fails to satisfy me. We had it as our main course and it paired beautifully with a glass of Cotes du Rhone..

There have been a lot of debates about traditional French onion soup. Some of them about the provenance, some of them about key ingredients. Some people are convinced you should only use water. To me, It matters little whether you use stock or water. The result is the same, a very tasty onion soup – as long as you don’t decide to use fish stock. That would make it fish soup…

Onions & Fresh Thyme

Regardless of what you use to make this soup, there is only one thing you need to worry about: caramelization. Without proper caramelization, you will not be able to achieve that fantastic deep flavor and beautiful color.

Onion caramelization takes time. You can’t rush this process. You just have to give it the time it needs and deserves.

FreshThyme

I hope you enjoy this terrific soup..

French Onion Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Ingredients:
5 medium brown onions thinly sliced
2 red onions thinly sliced
4 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs all purpose flour
½ cup dry sherry or cognac
1 small bunch fresh thyme tied into a bouquet
4 cups chicken, beef or veal stock (homemade if possible)
3 cups grated Emmental or Gruyere cheese
4 slices of country style bread

Instructions

Melt butter in a large dutch oven. Add onions, salt and pepper and cook on medium to low heat for about an hour, steering occasionally until the onions are soft and caramelized.
Lower the heat and stir in the flour to coat the onions. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes steering constantly to loosen any dried bits. Do not burn onions.
Add fresh thyme, dry sherry and beef stock. Bring the soup to simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning accordingly. Can be made ahead.
Lightly toast bread slices – just enough to dry them. Do not brown.
Remove the Thyme. Ladle the soup in oven safe bowls. Top with a slice of toasted bread and some cheese. Using a baking sheet, transfer bowls to oven and Broil on high until cheese melts and top is slightly brown and crisp.

Spring Pea Soup with Mint

Lately it’s been really cold in Los Angeles. Nothing like the blizzards they’ve been having on the East Coast but very cold (brrrrr) by Southern California standards. These low temperatures triggered my mood for soup. I’ve been especially craving green pea soup.

Growing up, I didn’t like green peas. As the years went by my palate gained a taste for them. They are now a healthy staple in my diet. I love their vibrant color, sweet taste and starchy texture.

I hope you like this spring-inspired soup as much as I do..

Green Pea Soup

When in season, I use fresh peas. Today, I am using frozen organic peas. For the success of this recipe, It is important to adjust the amount of mint to your taste.

Green Peas

Spring Pea Soup with Mint

Ingredients

4 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 small onion chopped
3 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
2 cups organic chicken stock
3 sprigs fresh mint
¼ tsp French four spices (see below to make your own mix)
2 Slices crisped prosciutto for garnish

Instructions

In a sauce pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add chopped onions and garlic and cook until soft and translucent.
Add peas, half the chicken stock, salt and black pepper. Bring to boil then lower the heat and cook for about three minutes.
Turn off stove, add mint and puree mixture using an immersion blender.
If using a counter top blender, transfer mixture to blender and puree.
Transfer soup back to pot and add more chicken stock if needed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Simmer for two minutes. Do not overcook the soup.
To crisp prosciutto, heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add prosciutto slices. Cook until the edges curl and the slice become crispy and golden.
Serve soup in bowls with a garnish of crispy prosciutto and a drizzle of fruity olive oil.
**Note: you can mix your own French four spices by combining: 1 tbs ground white pepper, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp grated nutmeg and ¼ tsp ground cloves. Keep in an airtight container for up to six months.
*The flavor of this soup is enhanced on the second day.