separate.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Make Ahead: The soup can be made up to 2 days ahead.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup chopped shallots
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium celery rib, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed under a knife
2 pounds sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3½ cups Homemade Turkey Stock 101 or Homemade Chicken Stock (pages 34 and 35) or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ cup smooth peanut butter (not natural)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Approximately 2 tablespoons heavy cream, for garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
1. In a Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrot, celery, jalapeño, and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, stock, and 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes.
2. In batches, transfer the soup to a blender and puree. Return the pureed soup to the Dutch oven and whisk in the peanut butter and lime juice. Cook over low heat, whisking often, until very hot but not simmering. Season with the salt and pepper. (The soup can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat over very low heat, stirring often, adding stock or water if the soup seems too thick.)
3. Transfer to a warmed soup tureen. To serve, spoon the soup into individual warmed soup bowls. Drizzle each serving with heavy cream and sprinkle with the cilantro if desired.
Two-Tone Root Vegetable Soups
This wonderful first course has to win the “simple sophistication” prize. Root vegetables are harbingers of autumn cooking, and certainly have pride of place at the Thanksgiving table. The idea here is to make two easy soups with complementary flavors but opposite colors, then serve them next to each other in the same bowl for a dramatic presentation. You will need at least one 2½-to 3-inch-wide open-ended charlotte ring or leaf-shaped cookie cutter for each serving. You can assemble the soups with one ring, but the more rings, the quicker the assembly. I have provided two more presentations for serving, side by side and swirl, following the recipe.
Makes about 12 servings
Make Ahead: The soups can be made 1 day ahead.
CELERY ROOT SOUP
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium celery rib, chopped
½ cup coarsely chopped shallots
1 pound celery root (celeriac), pared, woody portions trimmed out, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3½ cups Homemade Chicken Stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth, as needed
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
CARROT SOUP
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium celery rib, chopped
½ cup coarsely chopped shallots
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
1 medium (5 ounces) baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth, as needed
1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. For the celery root soup: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery and cover. Cook until the celery softens, about 3 minutes. Add the shallots and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the celery root and potato, and cook for a minute or so. Add the stock and thyme, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover partially and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. In batches, puree in a blender, being sure the lid is slightly ajar to allow the steam to escape. Adjust the thickness with additional stock, if needed. In order for the pattern to stay distinct, the soup should be on the thick side, with a consistency between
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Make Ahead: The soup can be made up to 2 days ahead.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup chopped shallots
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium celery rib, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed under a knife
2 pounds sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3½ cups Homemade Turkey Stock 101 or Homemade Chicken Stock (pages 34 and 35) or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ cup smooth peanut butter (not natural)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Approximately 2 tablespoons heavy cream, for garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
1. In a Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrot, celery, jalapeño, and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, stock, and 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes.
2. In batches, transfer the soup to a blender and puree. Return the pureed soup to the Dutch oven and whisk in the peanut butter and lime juice. Cook over low heat, whisking often, until very hot but not simmering. Season with the salt and pepper. (The soup can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat over very low heat, stirring often, adding stock or water if the soup seems too thick.)
3. Transfer to a warmed soup tureen. To serve, spoon the soup into individual warmed soup bowls. Drizzle each serving with heavy cream and sprinkle with the cilantro if desired.
Two-Tone Root Vegetable Soups
This wonderful first course has to win the “simple sophistication” prize. Root vegetables are harbingers of autumn cooking, and certainly have pride of place at the Thanksgiving table. The idea here is to make two easy soups with complementary flavors but opposite colors, then serve them next to each other in the same bowl for a dramatic presentation. You will need at least one 2½-to 3-inch-wide open-ended charlotte ring or leaf-shaped cookie cutter for each serving. You can assemble the soups with one ring, but the more rings, the quicker the assembly. I have provided two more presentations for serving, side by side and swirl, following the recipe.
Makes about 12 servings
Make Ahead: The soups can be made 1 day ahead.
CELERY ROOT SOUP
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium celery rib, chopped
½ cup coarsely chopped shallots
1 pound celery root (celeriac), pared, woody portions trimmed out, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3½ cups Homemade Chicken Stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth, as needed
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
CARROT SOUP
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium celery rib, chopped
½ cup coarsely chopped shallots
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
1 medium (5 ounces) baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups Homemade Chicken Stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth, as needed
1½ teaspoons dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. For the celery root soup: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery and cover. Cook until the celery softens, about 3 minutes. Add the shallots and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the celery root and potato, and cook for a minute or so. Add the stock and thyme, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover partially and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. In batches, puree in a blender, being sure the lid is slightly ajar to allow the steam to escape. Adjust the thickness with additional stock, if needed. In order for the pattern to stay distinct, the soup should be on the thick side, with a consistency between
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