9 Essentials of a cold weather puree soup

This is a base recipe that can be applied to any number of puree soups ranging from squash to potato. A puree soup is probably my go-to soup style simply because cut consistency doesn’t matter and you can use product that’s “going bad” or doesn’t look so good and still have a fantastic product.

Puree soups can also range in flavor from a deep savory to something that is light and delicate. 

Depending on what ingredients you use, you can go in a thousand different directions. This particular recipe I used carrots. I would use this recipe with four pounds of your selected product and start branching out from there.

Onions – once these babies start to caramelize, the aroma and flavor is soul-filling. It’s a little savory and sweet, yet mellow enough to not overpower your main ingredients. The onion also adds more body to the soup. Keep in mind that if you’re going for a specific color, the onion tends to lighten the color or change it to a light brown if you allow the onions to fully caramelize.

Apple – I just started using apples in my stock and soups within the last year and let me tell you - it’s a game changer! I use whole apples for this application because the seeds and core contain a lot of pectin and if you’re making this completely vegetarian/vegan it helps with adding more body to the soup. I wouldn’t use more than one per quart batch of soup, unless the apple is one of the main ingredients.

Ginger – I love putting ginger in everything… it’s so good! Just a little nob will do. I shave the skin off with a spoon and slice it thin. Cook this when you’re cooking your onions. The flavor mellows out as it sweats out in the pan, but still gives you a nice little zip. I use this mainly in this application to add some brightness in the dark coldness known as winter.

Fat – It’s all about the selection here! I think that butter is the best selection here, but you can keep in the cold spirit and render a few pieces of bacon; or use avocado or grape seed oil. I stopped cooking with olive oil because it has a prominent flavor and it loses its integrity very quickly when exposed to heat. Remember that when you sweat the vegetables that the flavor is absorbed into the oil.

Champagne vinegar – this is another great ingredient that I’ve just started using. I deglaze the pan with the vinegar so that the flavor is absorbed into the vegetables. Once cooked down, it’s more sweet than acidic, but still adds some great dimension into the dish. I just use a little splash, no more than shots worth. I chose to use this vinegar because it adds a bit of delicacy to the soup. Other varieties a such as balsamic, apple, rice wine, and sherry add depth and tend to be a bit stronger.

Salt and pepper – It is essential that you apply seasoning throughout the various stages of cooking to get the best results out of your soup. I add a liberal amount when I’m sweating out my onions. Salt draws moisture out and allows it to be absorbed into the fat which results in the flavor being dispersed through the mixture.

Stock – If you learn anything from this post it needs to be this. The secret to any sauce or soup starts with a great stock. I highly suggest making your own stock at home. However if you don’t make your own stock, I suggest getting an organic stock with low or no sodium. The ones that do have sodium in them tend to taste super salty to me and basically rules out your own tastes. With puree soups, I suggest using a vegetable or chicken stock. The flavors tend to be more neutral whereas beef or seafood stocks contain a more prominent flavor. Experiment with different brands until you find something that suits your fancy.

Blender – Essential of anything pureed. Get a good blender with a warranty, or something of the professional grade. When you’re processing your soup, do it in small batches to achieve maximum results. Otherwise you won’t be able to get a smooth puree, or you will burn the motor out of your blender… and nobody wants that.

Strainer - One thing I am a stickler for with purees is that the whole product is blended fully and pushed through a strainer. In the restaurant industry we use a chinois, otherwise known as a fine mesh strainer; but you can just use the finest mesh strainer you can find. This creates a smooth product free of any product that hasn’t been fully cooked out. In this recipe I found the skin of apples and some carrot fibers. No one wants that garbage in their soup!

Fall carrot puree soup

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

1 large onion

4 lbs carrots (medium dice)

¼ inch ginger fresh (sliced)

1 apple (quartered then cut in half)

2 Tablespoons butter

½ shot champagne vinegar

1 ½ quarts vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment:

Medium sized pot

Chef knife

Cutting board

Blender

Fine mesh strainer

Rubber spatula

Ladle or cup

Directions:

1. Place the pot on medium low heat. Once hot, add the butter and allow it to melt then add the onions and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions become translucent but not brown.
2. Add carrots and apple. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until apples and carrots start to become tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour in shot of champagne vinegar. Continue to cook until the vinegar fully evaporates.
4. Add stock. Turn heat up to medium and cover. Cook until carrots start falling apart with a fork.
5. In small batches, transfer the soup to the blender and blend. Once spoon pour into the mesh strainer and push through with the rubber spatula.
6. Garnish with parsley and tarragon mixed into ricotta cheese or yogurt, lemon olive oil, cracked black pepper and nutmeg. 

What's in a chowder? The essentials

Its clear fall is finally here! The nights are getting colder and the air is getting crisper. I found myself sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket and I was FREEZING. So I thought what better way to celebrate this change than to make chowder.

But as I was rummaging through the fridge and dry storage, I came upon one clear question: What is chowder? I’ve had the New England clam chowder – a creamy mixture filled with clams and hunks of potato. But, I’ve also had Manhattan clam chowder – a tomato based clear soup with pasta. So what’s really going on here?

The examples above demonstrate two kinds of clam chowder. However, the kind I will be exploring today is the cream based New England style – which I find to be the most fantastic of the two. I'll follow up shortly this month with the opposing style as well. 

I rummaged around some Coastal, New England, and American cook books and consulted the great and almighty, powerful internet and came to the following essential ingredients:

Mire Poux - carrot (sometimes optional), onion, celery. 

Milk thickened with a roux (fat and flour) – I saw many variations on this, ranging from cream of potato soup to half-and-half to regular milk. I would say that my preference is whole milk in this instance, but you can really use whatever… apparently. The goal is not to have a very thick soup, but rather a creamy based one. The chowder shouldn't be clumping to the spoon. It should be only slightly thicker than milk, but enough to barely coat a spoon.

Potatoes – quintessential to any New England chowder is cubes of starchy goodness. Since there are such a variety of potatoes out there, I wouldn't say you have to stick to one species - use your old potatoes! But, if you want something with a good starch content and flavor, I would say to use Yukon Gold or Red Russet. You can also get the baby russets or fingerlings for a more rustic style.

Seafood – most recipes call for some kind of seafood, but you can do it vegetarian as well. I suggest using cauliflower and mushrooms seasoned with seafood seasoning to replicate the flavor.

Using these four main elements, you can explore the endless possibilities of chowder. When adding ingredients to it, try to keep them under three because after that, it just becomes confusing as a dish.

Here’s some ideas for creative chowders that I didn't use:

Oyster and fennel

Monk fish

Clam and sweet potato

Leek and lobster

Salmon and caper

Crab and corn chowder with burnt butter and chive

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients (chowder):

1 lb. crab meat

6 ears corn (kernels removed)

1 Medium onion

2 stalks celery

2 medium carrots

8 large red potatoes (small dice)

2 shallots

3 Tablespoons butter

4 slices bacon (small dice)

1 shot sherry wine

½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

8-10 sprigs of thyme

10 sprigs parsley

1 Tablespoon pepper corn

½ teaspoon whole nutmeg (about a quarter)

½-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ quart milk

1 ½ quart stock (vegetable, chicken, or clam juice)

Ingredients (burnt butter sauce):

2 Tablespoons butter

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped chive

Equipment:

Large pot

Chef knife or food processor

Peeler

Cutting board

Large wooden spoon

Measuring cups

Cheese cloth or coffee filter

Butchers twine or tea bag string

Directions (chowder):

1. Peel carrots to avoid the earthy and bitter taste from the skin.
2. Dice the shallot, onion, carrot, and celery to a very small dice. I don’t like big chunks of veggies in my chowder. If you have a food processor, buzz it until it’s pretty smooth. These ingredients are there for flavor enhancements and not a main component.
3. Put pot over medium-low heat and allow it to heat up.
4. Place bacon in the pot and allow it to render slowly. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
5. When the bacon is slightly crispy, toss shallots, onions, carrots, and celery into pot and cook until onion is translucent.
6. Add corn and cook until it becomes tender. It’s ok if you see some browning occur, just turn the heat down. At this point add the sherry and Worcestershire sauce. 
7. Roll the nutmeg, pepper, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf into the cheese cloth or coffee filter. Tie off the ends with butchers twine or tea bag strings. Add to the pot
8. Once the moisture evaporates, add the butter and allow it to melt. Add flour slowly while stirring. You’re looking for the consistency of wet sand which is why I left the measurement a little open ended.
9. Add milk slowly while stirring the mixture. I suggest half a cup at a time. It’s important to keep the product moving to avoid lumps or scorching the chowder.
10. Once all the milk has been added allow it to come up to a simmer while stirring occasionally. Then add the stock.
11. Put the potatoes in and allow it to simmer until potatoes are tender (about an hour)
12. Once tender, add the crab and serve hot. 

Directions (garnish):

1. In a hot pan, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter until it begins to brown. 
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about a minute. 
3. Add chives and lemon. 
4. Spoon on top of chowder