Generally speaking, I’m a chunky chicken soup kind of person.
I like the hearty, stick-to-the-ribs quality of a good rough-hewn soup, and the contrast of textures and flavors of the broth and hunks of vegetable or meat or pasta. This extends to ramen or Korean hot pots, where the non-liquid elements outweigh the broth (though the broth is of equal importance).
But there is a time for pureed soups, those elegant, traditional starters for a multicourse meal. They’re there to whet the appetite for the more substantial courses to come. And despite their apparent refinement, they can often be created from whatever is in your vegetable drawer or pantry.
For me, though, my all-time favorite pureed soup is the carrot and orange soup from “The Silver Palate Cookbook.” It has regularly been on my family’s table for both casual weeknight meals and when we’ve invited guests. The carrots, onions, chicken broth and fresh orange juice combine for a lightly sweet yet savory soup that my kids love.
Cheat sheet: If the oranges are too watery, I sometimes add a bit of store-bought OJ or even honey to the mix, to up the sweetness. Finely grated orange zest adds sparks of intensity.
Another crowd pleaser is potato and leek soup, which blends easily to a silky consistency. You just have to carefully wash the leeks, which usually have dirt in their layers. I give them a final rinse in a colander after I’ve chopped them. Add a bit of cream to potato and leek soup and — voilà! It’s vichyssoise.
This soup, like any of those included here, can be dressed up or down, with homemade croutons, bacon bits (fake, I know), truffle oil, olive oil or herbs.
Tip: For any pureed soup, an immersion blender with a chopper attachment is your best friend. You can use the chopper to get vegetables down to relatively small sizes — no-cry onion chopping! And then use the immersion blender right in the soup pot to puree the vegetables, so you use fewer dishes.)
The final soup here is new to me, but one I found intriguing since I adore chickpeas. And it is created largely from pantry staples. In this recipe, I found the chickpeas took a backseat to the tomatoes, and the result was like a mildly spicy tomato soup that wouldn’t be out of place beside a grilled cheese sandwich.
I found it needed a good bit of salt, and some umami. So for a quick fix, I added a product that is basically monosodium glutamate. (Yeah, yeah.) There are probably better ways to add more depth, like starting by cooking some onions and blending those in with the rest.
Which raises the point that you should feel free to experiment and create your own pureed soups. French grandmas are expert at this, dispensing with elegance and just cleaning out their larders: blending whatever root vegetables and alliums (onions, leeks, garlic, shallots) they have at hand for vitamin-rich winter sustenance.
Carrot and Orange Soup
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions
10 large (1 1/2 -2 pounds) carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup fresh orange juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated orange zest, to taste
Heat olive oil in the pot. Add onions, cover and cook over low heat until tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes.
Add carrots and broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches with a blender or food processor or use an immersion blender right in the pot. Blend until smooth.
Return the puree to the pot and add orange juice and 2-3 cups of additional stock, until the soup is of desired consistency.
Season with salt and pepper; add orange zest. Simmer until heated through.
Serves 4-6.
— adapted from “The Silver Palate Cookbook”
Smooth Potato Leek Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large leeks (white and very light green parts only), cleaned thoroughly and chopped
3 small baking potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil and add chopped leeks, stirring until tender but not browned, about 20 minutes.
Stir in potatoes and chicken stock.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes,
Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
Thin, if necessary, with additional stock or water. Or add 1/2 cup cream to make vichyssoise.
Serves 6.
— adapted from “The Joy of Cooking”
Spicy Chickpea Soup
2 19-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
1 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
1 14.4-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped ( 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup chicken stock or vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
Combine drained chickpeas with coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, apple juice, cilantro leaves, garam masala and ground ginger and puree the mixture until smooth in a blender (or with an immersion blender in the cooking pot).
Transfer puree to a medium saucepan. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Season with salt (liberally, according to how salty your stock is) and black pepper.
Ladle into bowls, top with the yogurt and scallion greens and serve.
Serves 6.
— Food & Wine