Crab and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Bisque
Ingredients:
5 large red bell peppers, roasted
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. each garlic powder and dried basil
1 tsp. each sugar and Old Bay seasoning
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste
Sherry
1 pound crabmeat
Directions:
Roast peppers by charring them over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in bag and let stand 10 minutes.
Peel and seed peppers. Cut one pepper into thin matchstick-sized strips and set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining peppers. Combine chopped pepper and broth in a heavy large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until peppers are very tender, about 5 minutes.
Puree soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender and return to saucepan. Mix in garlic powder, basil, sugar and Old Bay; simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Whisk in cream and cheese. Season to taste with hot sauce, salt and pepper.
When ready to serve, pour 1 tsp. heated sherry on bottom of each bowl; divide crabmeat and soup among bowls. Add 1 Tbsp. Cream to each; swirl with knife to create pretty design. Garnish with reserved pepper strips.
Curried Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Large onion, chopped
5 whole cloves
2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp. curry powder
Few grains cayenne
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
Pinch sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup chilled heavy cream
2 Tbsp. coconut milk
Directions:
Heat oil in a heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and cloves until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove cloves and put in tea ball. Stir in carrots, curry powder and cayenne; cook about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute or so until fragrant.
Add water, broth, sugar and cloves in tea ball. Cover and simmer until carrots are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
Remove tea ball. Discard cloves. Puree soup with immersion blender. Mix in lemon juice.
Beat cream and coconut milk together. Add to soup, stir and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer a few more minutes.
Vichyssoise
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
5 leeks (white part only) well rinsed, dried, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth
5 medium all-purposed potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
Pinch cayenne pepper
Grated nutmeg
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cups half and half
1 cup heavy cream
Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and onion; sauté slowly until golden, about 15 minutes.
Add broth, potatoes, cayenne, nutmeg and lemon juice. Simmer until potatoes are soft.
Puree with immersion blender. Correct seasoning. Cool; cover and refrigerate. When well chilled, stir in creams.
Italian Sausage and Kale Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 slice pancetta bacon, diced
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, bruised
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 ½ cups canned tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
2 cups kale, rinsed and chopped
Grated Pecorino Romano
Chopped basil
Directions:
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage; cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain and set aside.
In same pan over medium heat, sauté onions, pancetta and fennel seeds until onions are translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté one minute until fragrant. Add chicken broth, water, tomatoes, reserved sausage and pasta. Simmer until pasta is done, 10 to 15 minutes. Add kale. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Correct seasoning.
Garnish with Romano and herbs.
Shrimp, Fennel and Orange Soup with Crostini and Rouille
Soup Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, cut across into 1/4-inch slices
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsps. Kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 pound fennel, trimmed and chopped
1 medium onion, diced
3 strips orange zest
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orange juice, no pulp
1/2 cup minced fennel fronds and tender stalks, wrapped and refrigerated
Grilled Garlic Crostini (see below)
Rouille (see below)
Soup Directions:
In medium bowl, mix shrimp with olive oil, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat; add fennel, onion, orange zest, remaining salt and remaining pepper. Stir to coat. Cover pan and gently sauté, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Add chicken broth and orange juice; simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Use immersion blender to puree.
When ready to serve, reheat soup. Put half in another saucepan and poach shrimp about 2 minutes, or until just cooked. Remove and set aside. Then, return that now-shrimp-flavored soup to first pot. Divide shrimp among bowls, then soup.
Grilled Garlic Crostini:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/3-inch slices French baguette
In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper; brush lightly both sides of bread. Broil 2 inches from element 60 seconds each side, until nicely marked and edges start to blacken. Remove.
Rouille:
1 sweet red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 slice French bread, 1/2-inch think, crusts removed
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Dip bread in water to dampen and squeeze dry.
In food processor, puree bread, garlic, pepper flakes, paprika, salt and olive oil. Spread each crostini with rouille.
Fill soup bowls. Float crostini. Sprinkle with chopped fronds.
