July Soups

Cream of Fennel Soup

Cream of Fennel

Cream of Fennel

1 leek, thinly sliced

1/6 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 fennel bulbs thinly sliced

4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

3 cups vegetable stock (Knorr)

Greens of the fennel, only the soft tops, finely chopped

½ cup cream (coconut milk)

Saute the leeks in oil until tender. Add the garlic and fennel. Stir well, and cook for a few minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes. Stir well and cook over moderate heat until the tomatoes are dissolved into a sauce. Add stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium for 15 minutes. Blend the soup and return it to the pot. Add the green tops, cream, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat, cover, and rest for 10 min. This soup can be also served cold using yogurt (or non-dairy yogurt) instead of cream. [I decided to make it more filling by adding maccheroni.]

Neapolitan Zucchini Soup

Neapolitan Zucchini Soup

Neapolitan Zucchini Soup

3 small zucchinis, sliced and halved

1 ½ Tbsp olive oil

3 cups vegetable stock

2 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Parsley and basil, finely chopped

Place finely sliced zucchinis in a soup pot. Add the olive oil and cook slowly over low heat for 5 min. Add the water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cook until the zucchinis are tender over medium heat (about 20 min). Cover the pot. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the cheese, parsley, and basil and mix thoroughly. Add the mixture to the soup and stir. Cook another 4-5 min.

Gumbo Pottage

gumbo pottage

Gumbo Pottage

1/6 cup olive oil

1 onion chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 cups fish stock

1 cup white wine

½ can of tomato paste

15 string beans

4 okra, sliced

1 carrot, sliced

1 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Pour the oil into a large soup pot. Add onion and garlic. Saute over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring often to keep garlic from browning. Add stock, wine, and tomato paste. Stir well, raise heat to medium and bring the soup to a boil. Add the beans, okra, carrot, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir and cover. Cook for 30 minutes on medium. Add hot sauce to taste. [I added some shrimp to cook in the residual heat of the soup for 3 min.]

Parsley Soup

Parsley Soup

Parsley Soup

4 medium tomatoes

5 Tbsp olive oil

1 leek, finely chopped

1 onion, chopped and minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup dry white wine

4 ½ cups water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 big bunch of Italian parsley, finely chopped

Wash the tomatoes. Boil them for a few minutes and then peel. Slice them lengthwise and discard the seeds. Pour the olive oil into a soup pot. Add the leek and onion and saute for a few minutes, until they begin to turn golden. Add the tomatoes, garlic, wine, water, salt, and pepper. Allow to boil over low-medium heat for 20 minutes. Add the parsley and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Blend the soup in a blender. Serve hot or refrigerate for a few hours and serve cold. [To me this soup would make a great sauce for pasta, fish, or chicken.]

Saint Seraphim Soup

Saint Seraphim Soup

Saint Seraphim Soup

2 Tbsp butter or oil

½ cup rice

3 ½ cups boiling water

1 carrot, grated

½ onion, sliced

½ green pepper, diced

1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of saffron

Melt butter or oil in soup pot and add the rice, stirring one minute. Immediately add boiling water, carrot, onion, green pepper, saffron, and parsley. Cook the soup over low heat, covered, for 30-40 minutes, until rice is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.