Cream Soups Using Any Green Vegetable

Ratio, p. 117

1 ounce butter (2 tablespoons)

1 ½ ounces flour (3 tablespoons)

1/3 cup chopped onions

Salt to taste

3 cups chicken stock

1 pound chopped vegetables, upper stems included, with about 4 ounces reserved to use as garnish (florets of broccoli or tips of asparagus, for instance)

Fresh lemon juice to taste

3 ounces cream

4 tablespoons crème fraiche (optional)

My green vegetable was okra, which seemed like a really neat idea until I remembered how slimy okra can get when it's cooked.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Let it bubble to cook off some water (a half minute or so, but don’t brown it), then add the flour and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until the flour takes on a lightly cooked aroma. Add the onions, then a 3-fingered pinch of salt, and cook for another minute or two to sweat the onions. Add the stock and bring to a simmer, stirring and continually scraping the bottom so the flour doesn’t stick and scorch. When the stock comes to a simmer, pull the pot to the edge of the burner and continue to simmer gently. Skim any foam or skin that collects on the cooler side of the pot. Add ¾ pound of the chopped vegetables and cook until tender, stirring occasionally to keep the flour from scorching on the bottom. 

But slimy doesn't matter when it's soup!

Puree the soup in a blender on high for 2 to 3 minutes (cover the top of the blender with a towel and hold it down to prevent the hot liquid from splashing out), taste for seasoning, and add more salt if necessary. Add some lemon juice, 1 to 2 teaspoons, reblend, taste, and adjust as necessary. 

Whrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Strain the soup into a clean pan or serving dish, add the cream, and garnish with the reserved vegetables (see below), or chill immediately and reheat to serve.

Gotta love anything with cream.

To prepare the garnish: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (brine strength). Cook the reserved vegetables as you like them, ideally slightly al dente. Strain and plunge them into ice water to halt their cooking. Drain on paper towels until ready to serve. This is called blanching and shocking.

Matt really likes croutons. You can tell which soup is his.

 My Rating: 3/5 "Nice, light, and versatile. There really are great possibilities with this recipe - just choose your favorite veggie!"