Puree Of Mushroom Soup New York Times Food

BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR SOUP

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add broccoli, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is bright green and slightly tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a large cooking spoon, transfer broccoli mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the same pot over medium heat (don't worry about any remaining broccoli bits). Add flour and whisk constantly, cooking until the mixture has turned a pale golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Gradually whisk in chicken broth until no lumps remain (it'll thicken considerably at first), followed by half-and-half. Bring to a simmer and stir in cheese, nutmeg and all but 1 cup of the reserved broccoli mixture.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid has thickened and reduced by about 1/4 and the broccoli is completely tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Using a hand blender, purée the soup to desired consistency. (Some like to leave bits of broccoli in there. It is up to you how smooth or chunky the soup is.) Alternatively, transfer to a blender and purée to desired consistency.
• Season soup with salt and pepper, and divide among bowls. Top with remaining 1 cup broccoli, more Cheddar (if you like), and lots of freshly ground pepper.

MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 5 cups very hot water until soft, anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. When they are tender, remove mushrooms from the soaking liquid with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid; slice or chop if the pieces are large.
• Meanwhile, put the butter in a large pot that can later be covered over medium heat. When it melts, add the herb, onions and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium high, and add the fresh mushrooms; add the soaked mushrooms when they're ready. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and begun to brown, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the sherry or Madeira to the pot and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom as the liquor starts to bubble. Add the stock or soaking liquid and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer and cook, covered, until flavors have melded, about 15 minutes.
• Discard the herb. Reduce the heat to low, and purée the liquid with a hand-held mixer to desired consistency. (I like it half-puréed.) Add the cream if you're using it; stir to combine and let simmer for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning; garnish with parsley and serve.

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• In a large stockpot over high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they are tender and release their liquid. Continue to cook until water evaporates and the mushrooms begin to color, another 20 to 30 minutes.
• When mushrooms start to become golden brown, reduce heat to low and add onion, leeks and garlic. Season with 2 teaspoons of the salt and sweat until onions and leeks start to become translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add the Madeira and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pan. Reduce until the pan is almost dry. Add mushroom stock and simmer until all vegetables are soft and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add milk.
• Purée the soup using an immersion blender, or allow the soup to cool until no longer steaming and transfer to blender to purée. Pass through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl and season with remaining teaspoon of salt or to taste. If desired, thin the soup with additional mushroom stock. Serve hot.

HOW TO MAKE SOUP

Steps:

• Before you start, picture the soup you want to sit down to, and let that guide you. There are three main types - brothy, chunky or puréed. No matter the kind, all soups follow a similar path to deliciousness: Aromatics and main ingredients go into a pot, a liquid is added and the whole thing is simmered until done. From left, a brothy egg drop, a chunky chicken and bean, and a puréed butternut squash soup. Brothy soups, like egg drop, consommé or matzoh ball, are best made right after you've cooked up a batch of homemade stock. Restraint is an essential ingredient; the best brothy soups taste clean and allow the nuanced flavors of a long-simmered stock to stand out. Keep it simple: Use a high proportion of liquid and limit how many, and how much of, other ingredients you add into the pot. On the other hand, black bean soup, chowder, minestrone or any other chunky soup is defined by transformation. Flavors develop, vegetables soften, liquids reduce and starches thicken. As these soups simmer, their varied ingredients - choose three or four from the list of vegetables, grains, legumes, or bits of meat - coalesce into a whole that's inexplicably greater, and more delicious, than the sum of its parts. A puréed soup, such as a bisque, creamy tomato soup, or vichyssoise, is the paragon of refinement. Yet it's deceptively simple to make. Start with a base of onions, then add one or two main ingredients and just enough liquid to cover. Simmer gently until done, then blend, taste and adjust the seasonings. Soon you'll start to see the potential for a smooth, silky soup hidden within every vegetable and legume.
• Now that you've chosen your soup, you'll want to start building its foundation. Choose a cooking fat based on the cuisine that inspired your choice: butter for a French soup, olive oil for an Italian one. And use the same thinking to select an aromatic base of chopped vegetables, whether versatile garlic and onions, classic mirepoix, Italian soffritto, or Southeast Asian shallots and ginger. (Need help chopping? Here's our knife skills guide.) Then, select your seasonings, sticking to three or fewer to keep from muddying flavors. • For a basic aromatic foundation, heat 4 tablespoons of a neutral-tasting oil, like grapeseed or peanut, or olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add 2 diced medium yellow onions and a generous pinch of salt. (If you want to work in a little meatiness, start the pot off with 4 ounces finely diced bacon or pancetta and 2 tablespoons of water over low heat. When the water is gone and the meat is rendered, reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons and continue as above.) Stirring occasionally, cook until the onions are tender and the meat is just starting to brown. Add 3 cloves thinly sliced garlic and cook for another 20 seconds, just until the garlic gives off a savory aroma.• For a Mexican tortilla soup or pozole, crumble 1 tablespoon dried oregano into a base of onions and garlic. Add 1/4 cup basic pepper paste or canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and 1 cup chopped tomatoes.• For an Indian soup, turn a simple onion and garlic base into the foundation for an Indian soup by stirring 1 teaspoon cumin seed in with the garlic. Sizzle together for 20 seconds, then add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder.• When you're not sure what to do, make mirepoix, the classic French aromatic base perfect for chicken soup, black bean soup and red chowder alike. The onions and carrots will add sweetness, while the celery subtly enhances umami. Cook these vegetables gently in butter and stir them regularly to keep them from taking on color for a light, vegetal soup foundation.Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add 2 diced medium yellow onions, 1 diced large carrot, 1 diced large rib of celery and a generous pinch of salt. (If you want to work in a little meatiness, start the pot off with 4 ounces finely diced bacon or pancetta and 2 tablespoons of water over low heat. When the water is gone and the meat is rendered, reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons and continue as above.) Cook until the onions are tender, and the meat is just starting to brown.• For traditional French flavors, add a few peppercorns, a bay leaf and a bundle of fresh parsley stems and thyme sprigs to any soup that starts with mirepoix.• Soffritto, similarly made with onions, carrots and celery, is the Italian equivalent of mirepoix. However, there are a few important differences between the two. For one, soffritto begins with olive oil, rather than butter, to give it a classic Italian flavor. It should be finely chopped, rather than diced, to allow it to disappear into the soup rather than stand out visibly. And lastly, soffritto should be caramelized, making it a savory, rich foundation. Use it for zuppa, minestrone, pasta e fagioli and any other Italian soup.Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add 2 chopped red onions, 1 chopped large carrot, 1 chopped large rib of celery and a generous pinch of salt. (If you want to work in a little meatiness, start the pot off with 4 ounces finely diced bacon or pancetta and 2 tablespoons of water over low heat. When the water is gone and the meat is rendered, reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons and continue as above.) Increase the heat to medium-high, and, stirring regularly, cook until the onions are tender and caramelized and the meat is brown.• For classic Tuscan flavors, add a bay leaf and a bundle of fresh rosemary and sage to a soffritto base. Or skip the herbs and add 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander and some freshly ground black pepper.• For some savory umami flavor, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 cups chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon ground porcini mushrooms, a Parmesan rind or a ham bone to the soffritto for a minestrone or bean soup.• For Thai, Laotian and Vietnamese flavors, skip the onions, carrots and celery, and look to shallots, ginger and lemongrass. Commonly found in dishes throughout mainland Southeast Asia, these elements create a vibrant, intensely flavored aromatic base.Heat 4 tablespoons of a neutral-tasting oil over medium heat. Add 3 diced shallots, a sliced 2-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger, 1 stalk of lemongrass cut into 3-inch pieces and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the shallots are barely tender. Remove the lemongrass before puréeing or serving. • For sweetness and umami in a Vietnamese soup, sneak 3 tablespoons fish sauce and a large pinch of brown sugar into a base of shallots, ginger and lemongrass. • For a rich and spicy Thai soup, add 6 to 8 tablespoons of red or green Thai curry paste and a large pinch of white sugar to a base of shallots, ginger and lemongrass.
• Once you've built up your soup's foundation with aromatics and seasonings, it's time to add a stock or broth. No single element in a soup wields as much influence on its taste as its liquid. You will want about a cup per serving: a little more for a brothy soup, a little less for a hearty one. Use 8 cups for a large batch (about 6 to 8 servings), and freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months. You will thank your past self for your generosity and foresight.To paraphrase the food writer M.F.K. Fisher, there is a slippery slope from water to soup. If you have water around, you can have soup. Use water when you're after clean, light flavors rather than rich ones, or when you don't have any stock on hand. Water is never a bad choice, but sometimes stock is a better one, especially if your goal is to make a hearty, savory soup. Avoid canned and boxed stocks. Made with a lower ratio of bones and packed with ingredients - like cabbage, turmeric extract or yeast extract - that you would never add to a pot of stock yourself, they never taste quite right. Instead, either make and freeze stock or buy good quality fresh or frozen stock from a butcher. It will make all the difference.If you're hoping to make miso, ramen or any other Japanese soup, skip the aromatics and start with dashi. This broth of kombu seaweed and dried bonito flakes is at the base of most Japanese home cooking, and it couldn't be simpler to make. Place two 12-inch pieces of kombu in a saucepan with 3 cups of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and remove the kombu, then add two generous handfuls of dried bonito flakes, or katsuobushi. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Strain and use as you like.Don't forget to use bean cooking broth and the juice that comes with canned tomatoes. Both will lend terrific flavor and body to a minestrone or bean soup. For a velvety vegetable soup or seafood chowder, replace some of the water or stock with dairy - preferably heavy cream, which can withstand some cooking without curdling.Or, to evoke the flavors of South India or Thailand, use full-fat coconut milk.Whether you use stock or water, or add dairy, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer to finish cooking.
• You're almost there! After diligently building layer upon layer of flavor, there's the payoff of adding the ingredients that inspired you to make soup in the first place. Add them to the pot raw, so they can release flavor into the soup. Bring it all to a boil, then simmer. You will know it's done when it's all tender, anywhere from 25 minutes to 3 hours depending on the ingredients.Meat is a luxurious addition to any soup. When you can, choose stewing cuts, such as chicken legs, pork shoulder, beef chuck, short ribs or shank. Rich with fat, these cuts will add body and flavor as they simmer.• For a soup that's rich with bites of chicken, add a 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or 2 pounds of boneless chicken to a mirepoix base. Add enough water or stock to cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about 10 minutes for white meat and 45 minutes for dark meat. Remove the cooked meat from the pot and allow it to cool. Pick the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-size pieces. Chop the skin. Add the meat and skin back to the pot and return to a simmer. Add any remaining soup ingredients and cook until tender. Use a ladle to gently skim fat from the surface of the soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.• To make pozole, sauerkraut soup or any other soup with pork, add 2 pounds cubed boneless pork shoulder to an onion-garlic base. Add seasonings and enough water or stock to cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the cooked meat from the pot and allow it to cool. Shred the meat, removing any gristle or very fatty bits as you go. Add the meat back to the pot and return to a simmer. Add any remaining soup ingredients and cook until tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt.• For a satisfying beef soup, cook a mirepoix or soffritto base and set it aside in a bowl. Return the soup pot to medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When it shimmers, add 3 pounds of beef osso buco (shank) or cubed short ribs, or 2 pounds of cubed chuck in a single layer. Cook for about 4 minutes per side until evenly golden brown on all sides. Add browned meat to the bowl of vegetables. Carefully discard cooking fat and return pot to stove over medium heat. Add 1 cup white wine to deglaze, scrape thoroughly with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits, and return the vegetables and meat to the pot. Cover with water or stock, and simmer until the meat is tender and falling off the bones, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the cooked meat from the pot and allow it to cool. Shred the meat, removing any bones, gristle or very fatty bits as you go. Add the meat back to the pot and return to a simmer. Add any remaining soup ingredients and cook until tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt.Add grains, pasta or bread to a brothy soup to transform it from a light meal to a hearty one. Watch and stir starchy simmering soups attentively, since they tend to stick and scorch. Stand at the ready to add more liquid if the grains or pasta absorb too much.• To lend chewiness and texture, add 1 cup uncooked rice, farro or barley to a pot of chicken soup when the liquid comes to a boil. Cook until the grains are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.Add 4 ounces fresh or dried egg noodles, cut into 3-inch pieces, or 3/4 cup uncooked orzo, tubetti or other small pasta shape to any brothy soup 15 to 20 minutes before the soup is expected to be done. Stirring occasionally, cook until the noodles are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.• For a bread soup, stir 2 cups diced stale bread into minestrone or bean soup about 20 minutes before the soup is expected to be ready. Stirring occasionally, cook over low heat until the bread falls apart. Bread soup should be quite thick, so resist the urge to thin it too much. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.Whether pinto, navy, black or borlotti, dried beans will grow tough while cooking in the presence of acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes, so cook them on their own before setting out to make bean soup. If you can't wait for dried beans to cook, make up a pot of lentils before you get the aromatics going. They'll be done by the time the onions are cooked. (Need help cooking beans? Check out The Times's bean guide.) Alternatively, drain and rinse a few cans of cooked beans.• To make a bean or lentil soup, add 4 to 6 cups cooked beans or lentils and their broth to a base of mirepoix or soffritto. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, until the beans begin to fall apart and their released starches begin to thicken the soup. Purée if desired and thin with more liquid as needed to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt.While you can make a soup with any vegetable, the best-tasting produce will always yield the brightest flavors. Choose in-season or frozen vegetables and resist combining too many kinds - about three is just right - in a single soup. If you're using vegetables with wildly different textures, stagger their additions to the pot in the order of their cooking times, from longest to shortest.• For a hearty vegetable soup, add up to 4 cups of diced mixed vegetables, such as potatoes, bell peppers, broccoli rabe, fennel, kale and cabbage, to a mirepoix or soffritto base just before adding the liquid. Simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt.• For a puréed vegetable soup, add about 2 pounds of a trimmed, sliced, fresh or frozen vegetable, such as fennel, cauliflower, turnips, butternut squash, corn or English peas, to a tender onion-garlic base. Add enough liquid to cover and simmer until the vegetables are barely soft. Use a hand blender to purée and thin with more liquid as needed to reach desired consistency. For an extra silky soup, strain the purée through a fine sieve, stirring it with a ladle to encourage everything but the fibrous bits to pass through. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt.
• You've cooked up a hearty pot of soup, but you're not done just yet. Before you sit down to eat, finish the bowl with a bright garnish. Think of it as an opportunity to both balance the flavors and textures of a soup and make it eye-catching.Butternut squash and green curry soup, topped with a Thai-inspired garnish. • For creaminess and tang, garnish with a dollop of sour cream, yogurt or crème fraîche. Chopped herbs such as parsley, cilantro, chives or dill bring a fresh contrast to long-cooked flavors. • A sprinkle of crushed toasted croutons or toasted sesame or pumpkin seeds will add a welcome crunch to a puréed soup. • Crumbled cheeses, such as feta, ricotta salata or goat cheese, or any grated hard cheese such as Parmesan, pecorino or Asiago will finish a soup with a welcome bit of salty and tart flavors. • Don't be afraid to experiment. The spicy peanut and coconut topping, shown above, was inspired by a classic Thai bar snack. It simultaneously complements the flavors and introduces contrasting textures. • And a drizzle of a good, fruity olive oil never hurts.

CREAMY LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot and add the leeks and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until leeks are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about a minute, until the garlic smells fragrant. Add the stock or water, the rice, bay leaf and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
• Puree the soup with an immersion blender or a food mill, or in batches in a blender, taking care to remove the lid or take out the center insert and to cover with a towel to avoid hot splashes. Return to the pot, heat through, and add pepper to taste and a pinch of cayenne if desired. Serve hot or cold. If you wish you can thin out with milk, plain yogurt or a combination of milk and creme fraiche. Garnish with chopped chives or croutons.

PURéE OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients for the broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Strain and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the leek, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook gently for five minutes, stirring often, until the onion and leek have softened. Add the garlic, stir together for a minute, then add the potatoes, broth, bouquet garni and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus (not the 12 spears), and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and remove the bouquet garni.
• Puree the soup with a hand blender or, working in 1-1/2 cup batches, ladle the soup into a blender. Place a towel over the blender, and pull it down tightly to prevent splashing. Blend each batch, then (whether you pureed the soup in the pot or in a blender) put through a medium strainer, pushing it through with the bottom of your ladle or with a spatula. Return to the pot. Heat through, and add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, steam the 12 asparagus spears for four minutes, until just tender. Refresh with cold water, then slice about 3/4 inch thick.
• Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish each serving with a handful of sliced asparagus, sprinkle with tarragon and serve.

PRESSURE COOKER MUSHROOM AND WILD RICE SOUP

Steps:

• Turn on the sauté setting on a 6- to 8-quart electric pressure cooker. Melt the butter, then add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and shrunk a bit, about 8 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, chopped garlic, thyme, garlic powder and several generous grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine. Add the flour and stir until the vegetables are evenly coated and no white spots remain.
• Pour in the stock and wine, and turn off the heat. Scrape the bottom of the pot very well to incorporate flour and any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom. (This will add flavor and also prevent a burn warning later.) Stir in the wild rice.
• Cook on high pressure for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually.
• Stir the soup and check the texture of the wild rice; if it needs a bit more time repeat the pressure cooking process for a cook time of 2 minutes and rapidly release the pressure. Check the texture of the soup; if you'd like it to be thicker, turn on the sauté function and let the soup simmer to reduce to desired consistency. Turn off the heat.
• Put the sour cream in a small bowl and slowly whisk in a few spoonfuls of warm soup until smooth, then stir the mixture into the soup. (This prevents the sour cream from separating.) Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve the soup in bowls topped with chopped scallions or chives and dill. Reheat any leftovers on low until warm. (Boiling can cause the sour cream to break.)

SAUTéED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the shallots. Cook, stirring, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes, and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have begun to soften and sweat, about 3 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add the herbs if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender, fragrant and juicy. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasoning.

TOFU MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Place dried mushrooms in a bowl or large heatproof measuring cup and cover with 2 cups boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes. If mushrooms are sandy, agitate from time to time. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and place over a 1-quart measuring cup. Drain through the strainer, then twist mushrooms in the cheesecloth, holding them over the strainer, to squeeze out the last of the flavorful liquid. Discard reconstituted mushrooms or set aside for another use.
• While porcinis are soaking, pull tough stems away from shiitake mushroom caps. Slice caps thin and set aside.
• Combine the mushroom broth with enough water to make 9 cups liquid and place in a saucepan or soup pot. Add shiitake stems, quartered button or cremini mushrooms, halved head of garlic, salt and ginger slices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to remove mushrooms, stems, garlic and ginger from broth. Add soy sauce to broth. Taste and adjust salt.
• Bring broth back to a boil and add tofu. Reduce heat to a simmer or a gentle boil, cover partly and simmer for 30 minutes. Tofu will puff a little, and texture will become more porous and spongy.
• Add thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and chives. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve.

TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 20 minutes.
• Add flour and stir until mixture is slightly thickened and pale gold, about 3 minutes; do not allow to brown.
• Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth, sugar, salt, celery salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium until the liquid bubbles, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot frequently.
• Stir in half-and-half and honey. Remove from heat and purée using a hand blender, or allow to cool until no longer steaming and purée in batches in a stand blender. Return to medium heat just until heated through. Serve hot.