A Beautiful Bowl of Soup Read Online Free PDF Page A

minutes. Or, nuts can be toasted on a baking sheet or pie plate in a preheated 350° F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. To prevent burning, remove the nuts from the skillet or baking pan as soon as they are toasted.

Chestnut Soup

chestnut soup
    During the winter months, hot roasted chestnuts are sold by vendors on the boulevards of Paris, and the meaty nut is a popular ingredient in bistros around France. Canned chestnuts, available in many supermarkets and gourmet shops, are as rich and earthy as the fresh. No peeling and fussing, and they’re ready in minutes. I like to serve this soup in small cups topped with foamy milk steamed using my cappuccino machine and a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg. My friend Barb, who prepares this soup for winter holidays, tops the servings with a fan of paper-thin apple slices.
    Makes 4 cups (4 to 6 servings)
    1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 carrot, finely chopped
    1 celery stalk, finely chopped
    ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
    2 cups vegetable stock
    1 10-ounce can peeled chestnuts, drained, reserve 1 chestnut for garnish
    1 cup half-and-half or milk
    ¼ cup dry sherry (see Tip)
    ˜ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
    ˜ hot foamy milk, freshly grated nutmeg, and thinly sliced chestnut for garnish
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the carrot, celery, and shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable stock.
    In 2 batches, purée the soup with the chestnuts in a blender until smooth.
    Return the soup to the pan. Add the half-and-half and sherry. Stir gently over medium heat until heated through. Season to taste.
    Serve the soup, cappuccino style, in soup mugs or small, deep bowls topped with foamy milk. Thinly slice the remaining chestnut and place on the soup. Finish with a dash of nutmeg.
advance preparation
Prepare the soup through the puréeing step; refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat and add the half-and-half and sherry just before serving.
    TIP
    Sherry is a fortified wine to which brandy or another spirit has been added to increase the flavor and boost the alcohol content. Sherries vary in color, flavor, and sweetness. Finos are dry and light; they include manzanillas, which are very dry and delicate, with a hint of saltiness, and amontillados, which are aged and have a distinctively nutty flavor. Olorosos, often labeled cream or golden sherry, are darker in color and sweet.

roasted bell pepper soup with lemon vinaigrette
    Vegan recipe if crème fraîche and sour cream garnishes are omitted
    Roasting your own bell peppers is the secret to top-notch flavor. Roast the peppers, then prepare the soup in two separate batches. Pour the red and yellow soups into the bowl all at once for an impressive “yin-yang” presentation.
    Makes 6 cups (6 servings)
    vinaigrette
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    ˜ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
soup
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 large russet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks (about 2¼ cups)
    1 cup finely chopped onion
    1 carrot, finely chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    4 cups vegetable stock
    3 red bell peppers, roasted (see Tips)
    3 yellow bell peppers, roasted (see Tips)
    ˜ salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
    ˜ finely chopped fresh chives (see Tips) and crème fraîche or sour cream for garnish
to make the vinaigrette
Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season to taste. Set aside.
to make the soup
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the potato, onion, carrot, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer half of the vegetables to a large saucepan.
    Stir 2 cups of the vegetable stock into each pan. Coarsely chop the roasted bell peppers. Put the red bell peppers in one pan and the yellow