Creamy Arugula And Lettuce Soup With Goat Cheese Food

LETTUCE SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, onion, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt and a couple turns of pepper and cook until the onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Whisk in the milk and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lettuce and cook, turning with tongs, until bright green, about 1 minute. Working in batches, blend the soup until smooth; return it to the pot to heat through and thin with milk or water as desired. Serve topped with shredded romaine.
• Disclaimer: When blending hot liquid, first let it cool for 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling only halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters and pulse until smooth.

LINGUINE WITH CREAMY ARUGULA AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring water to boil in covered pot for linguine.
• Trim and wash arugula thoroughly. Dry thoroughly.
• In food processor, blend yogurt, ricotta and goat cheese until creamy.
• Add arugula to ricotta mixture and blend until arugula is thoroughly blended. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook linguine according to package directions.
• When linguine is cooked, drain and top immediately with sauce.

ARUGULA (ROCKET), BEET, AND GOAT-CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together shallot, vinegar, orange juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Place beets in a small bowl. Pour 1/3 of the dressing over beets; toss to coat.
• Place walnuts in a shallow dish. With your hands, form goat cheese into 12 equal balls. Roll balls in walnuts, turning to coat completely, then flatten into disks.
• Place arugula and romain lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle greens with remaining dressing, and toss to combine. Divide among plates, and top each serving with some of the sliced beets and 3 goat-cheese disks.

CREAM OF ARUGULA (ROCKET) SOUP

Steps:

• Wash the arugula (or spinach) very well under cold water then drain in a salad spinner. Arugula/spinach tends to hold dirt, so make sure you wash it until the water runs clear. Run the leaves through the salad spinner one more time.
• Place a large pan (big enough to hold the arugula/spinach) over medium high heat. Add the arugula/spinach and cook until it just wilts (the water clinging to the leaves after washing generates enough steam for cooking), about 1 minute. Immediately remove from heat.
• Place the arugula/spinach back into the salad spinner, spinning out any excess moisture; set aside.
• Rinse and dry the pan. Add the butter and melt gently over low heat until softly foaming, lightly browned and smells faintly nutty; add the shallots and sweat for about 5 minutes, or until softened and translucent.
• Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, then season generously with salt and pepper.
• Add the arugula or spinach and stir once or twice to combine, then pour in the broth and turn up the heat to high.
• As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, *immediately* remove from the heat. Don't overcook it or the spinach will become slimy quickly!
• Coarsely puree the soup using an immersion blender, or using a stand blender, in batches as necessary. Don't puree it too fine or the soup will seem watery.
• Return the soup to the pan (still on low heat) and stir in the creme fraiche. Add the grated nutmeg, then check for seasoning - adding a little more nutmeg, pepper and/or salt, to taste. Salt in particular is key to the flavor of this soup.
• Reheat gently and sprinkle with grated lemon zest just before serving.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Goat cheese: Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Using a fork, in a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and basil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop or a round tablespoon measure sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray, scoop the goat cheese into balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Soup: In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring constantly until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth, asparagus and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.
• To serve: Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and garnish with the herbed goat cheese.
• Cook's Note: The soup can also be pureed by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.