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. 

Curried Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup with Apples and Potatoes

Fall is officially here! I don’t know if you can tell… but I’m super excited for fall/winter squashes, as well as the massive variety of apples that are on hand. Fall is also a great time to sit outside on the porch in a sweatshirt and enjoy a hearty soup that warms you from the inside out. So, I’ll explore a semi-spicy curry soup that’s sweetened with apples and fortified with potatoes.

I’ve been really into curries as of late, and this squash soup pretty much sums up why I like curry powders. Now I know some of you curry fanatics will inform me that this is not true curry – I know this! However, this recipe is probably one of the best I’ve come up with so far. It’s so exciting to make something this good on the first try!

The idea behind the multiple cooking methods is that the squash will break up slightly (as will the potato) and create a natural chowder consistency. This stew is vegan, so obviously there is no dairy. However, I think it replicates the consistency quite well and is really a great treat to have your soup thickened naturally with roasted squash.

This recipe is a bit more complicated than my previous ones. I chose to do this to really hit on some fundamentals of soup making. I’ll probably be go over some real basic stuff to help you build flavor in your soup so you can great soup from scratch all the time. I make soup to utilize little bits and things hanging around in the pantry or fridge. So, understanding these principles and how great you can make something is important. Pay attention!

Please take note as well that you will be making your own stock here. Stock/broth at the store adds up in cost and contains a lot of salt/preservatives – even when you get the organic low-salt variety. I should say that the stock should be on the fire for about 4 hours to really benefit from the flavor. Otherwise you’re just going to get a whole bunch of lame stock.

I also chose to cut the vegetables with a very small dice. If you want to save time cutting, simply toss it in a food processor or grate it on a box grater on the side with the largest holes. But, given the amount of time you will have with the stock, I suggest pouring yourself a drink and refining your cuts.

If done correctly, this soup should have the following experience: You taste savory with a hint of building spice. Once you think the spice is going to heat up your palette, it drops off completely (cut by the sweetness) and leaves you on the edge of your seat for a moment. Then, a slow heat starts to reside on the tip of your tongue that slowly builds as you eat more. It’s truly a fantastical roller coaster that will dazzle all your friends. 

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash (peeled, seeded, and diced medium)

1 butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and diced medium)

1 apple (any one with a sweet and crisp taste profile)

3 stalks of celery (small dice)

2 medium sized carrots (small dice)

1 large sweet onion (small dice)

2 garlic cloves (sliced thin)

1 orange

10 medium Yukon gold potatoes (skin on, diced medium)

1 tsp thyme or 3 sprigs of fresh time

2 bay leaves

¼ cup cilantro (chiffonade or chopped fine only once)

2 tsp of your favorite curry powder

½ tsp cinnamon

1 Tablespoon champagne vinegar

1 ½ tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp mustard (whole grain preferably)

1 Tablespoon hot sauce (your favorite variety will work here)

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1.       Preparation

a.       Peel the squashes and place scraps into a stock pot.

b.      Keep the seeds separate in a container filled with water.

                                                               i.      Seeds will be easier to separate once wet.

                                                             ii.      Set seeds aside on a sheet pan, spread out evenly.

                                                            iii.      Allow seeds to dry while you prep.

                                                           iv.      Toast seeds with olive oil, salt, pepper in the oven at 300° F until super crunchy (about 1 hour).

c.       Remove bottom and tops of celery stalks and add to stock pot.

d.      Remove outer layer of skin on onions (learn how here) and add to stock pot.

e.      Peel carrots and cut off ends. Add scraps to stock pot.

f.        Remove outer skin of garlic and add to stock pot.

g.       Fill stock pot up with water – enough so that the scraps float up an inch.

h.      Add thyme and bay leaf.

i.         Put the pot on the stove and bring to a full boil.

                                                               i.      Reduce the heat to low and allow to barely simmer.

                                                             ii.      Keep on the stove for 4 hours.

2.       Roast the squash

a.       Acorn squash

                                                               i.      Medium dice the acorn squash. and transfer to a mixing bowl.

                                                             ii.      Add oil to the mixing bowl and toss the squash in it. You’re looking to just coat the squash.

                                                            iii.      Continue to toss and pour into the mixing bowl 2 tsp curry powder and juice of a quarter of the orange.

                                                           iv.      Add a generous amount of salt and pepper.

1.       I’d say it’s probably going to be around 2 tsp worth of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. But use your judgment and season to taste.

2.       Seasoning while roasting allows for quicker moister evaporation and a quicker caramelization process on the plant matter.

                                                             v.      Place in oven at 400° F until edges of squash begin to brown.

b.      Butternut squash

                                                               i.      Medium dice the butternut squash and apple.

                                                             ii.      Transfer to a mixing bowl.

                                                            iii.      Coat with oil as mention previously with acorn squash.

                                                           iv.      Add the cinnamon, paprika, and champagne vinegar.

                                                             v.      Season to taste.

                                                           vi.      Roast in the oven at 400° F with the acorn squash until it begins to brown.

3.       Cut your veggies

a.       While all this is going on cut veggies (carrot, celery, onion, garlic)

b.      They will break down throughout the cooking process, but it’s important to have them small. You don’t have to be super precise with your cuts here.

4.       Making the soup

a.       Wait until the squash is done roasting and the stock is about 3 and a half hours in or so.

b.      Put a large pot on the stove over a medium heat.

c.       Put some oil in the pot, enough to lightly coat the bottom

d.      Add in your raw onion, celery, carrot, and garlic.

                                                               i.      Keep this on a medium/medium-low heat.

                                                             ii.      I add a little salt at this point to add to the dynamic of the flavor. Salt aids in extracting the flavor from the product (which is the goal of sweating). I don’t do this when I am sautéing. I always season that at the end.

                                                            iii.      Stir occasionally until onions become translucent.

e.      Add both squashes to the stock pot, straight from the roasting pan.

                                                               i.      Any juices or remaining oil is a plus!

                                                             ii.      Make sure you soak roasting pans after the transfer so they aren’t hard to clean

f.        Allow ingredients to incorporate and heat up.

g.       Add mustard and hot sauce.

h.      Continue to cook ingredients until you start to see a little browning on the bottom of the pan.

i.         At this point, strain the stock into the soup pot.

j.        Allow to come up to a simmer

                                                               i.      While this is happening, start cutting your potatoes

                                                             ii.      It doesn’t matter if you add them all at once or simply as you finish cutting them. You want some to break down.

k.       Add potatoes into the simmering soup.

l.         Reduce heat to low (a light simmer)

m.    Cook until potatoes are fork tender.

5.       Finishing the soup

a.       Once the potatoes are ready, add remaining juice of the orange and cilantro.

b.      Season to taste.

                                                               i.      You shouldn’t really have to season much at this point. The flavor complexity should be showing through by this point.

                                                             ii.      Since you seasoned all the ingredients and you have a really great, flavorful stock – you shouldn’t need the extra few grams of salt.

6.       Serving the soup

a.       Serve with bread, crostini’s, or naan to dip with. I’d also recommend ethnic Indian crackers to eat with the soup. You could also get a little weird with it and use ginger snap cookies.

b.      Match with a fizzy or acidic drink.

                                                               i.      The heat may be too much for you to handle. However, you can make it spicier by adding dried peppers to the stock or when you roast the squash.

                                                             ii.      The bubbles in beer will help lift the heat off and cool your palate.

                                                            iii.      I would match this as well with either some kind of vodka and ginger beer cocktail. The ginger would both cool and accent the complex flavors here.

                                                           iv.      Steer away from gin in this application, it will have too much of an aromatic competition.

                                                             v.      White wine is a lot cleaner than red, so I think that the light fruit/acidity that it has to offer would complement this nice.  However, that’s not to say that if you have a lighter tasting red wine that it wouldn’t work.

                                                           vi.      Non-alcoholics will enjoy matching this with ginger beer/ale or a citrus based drink. Think orangeade/limeade base.