Soups play a vital role in setting the tone for the upcoming culinary experiences. They serve as a delicious prelude to the main course and help whet the appetite of our guests.
Soups also offer a practical advantage by providing a warm and comforting start to the meal, especially during colder seasons. The inviting aroma emanating from a simmering pot of soup creates a cozy atmosphere and adds to the overall festive ambiance.
Moreover, soups offer a wide range of flavors and ingredients, allowing hosts to cater to various dietary preferences and restrictions. From rich and creamy bisques to hearty vegetable broths, soups can be customized to suit different tastes and dietary needs.
Additionally, soups provide an opportunity to showcase creativity in the kitchen. By experimenting with different combinations of ingredients and spices, hosts can create unique and memorable soup recipes that become an integral part of their holiday traditions.
Soups hold a special place before holiday feasts as they set the stage for the forthcoming culinary delights, offer comfort and warmth, accommodate dietary preferences, and allow hosts to showcase their culinary skills.
Here are some of my personal favorites.
She Crab Soup
Richard Lewis,
Richmond, Virginia
INGREDIENTS:
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots diced
1 small carrot diced
2 stalks of celery diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white rice
2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of nutmeg
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste
2 cups clam juice (bottled)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 lb. fresh crab meat
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dry sherry
Fresh chopped parsley and paprika for garnish
PREPARATION
Melt butter over medium-low heat, add shallots, celery, carrots and bell pepper, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Deglaze pan with 1/2 white wine, scraping up any browned bits.
Whisk in clam juice and chicken broth (or fish stock), rice, tomato paste, Worcestershire, Old Bay seasoning, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, cooking until vegetables are tender and rice is very soft, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
In batches to avoid burning yourself, puree crab soup in a blender until smooth. Once soup is pureed, bring it back to a simmer over a medium low heat.
Add in crab meat, and whisk in 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Cook just until hot, adding 1/2 cup sherry the last 2-3 minutes for additional flavor. If necessary, thin soup with additional broth to desired thickness.
Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a dash of paprika and an additional shot of sherry if desired.
Duck and Andouille Gumbo
Chef Brian Landry
Marsh House
Nashville, Tennessee
Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups diced onions
1 cup diced celery
2 Tbs. dry oregano
1 Tbs. ground cloves
2 Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. crushed red pepper
2 lbs. andouille sausage (cut into half moons)
1 cup diced green bell pepper
¼ cup garlic (minced)
1 Tbs. Allspice
2 Tbs. dry thyme
3 ea. bay leaf
2 lbs. duck meat (roasted and pulled)
2 oz Worcestershire sauce
3 quarts duck stock (or chicken stock)
2 Tbs. filé
Salt and black pepper to taste
PREPARATION
In a 2-gallon stock pot, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onion and cook until caramelized. Once the onion is browned but not burnt, whisk in the flour. Stir constantly until a dark brown roux is achieved. Add celery, oregano, clove, chili powder, paprika, and chili flakes. Cook until the celery is tender. Next, add the andouille and the duck meat. Cook for approx. 10 minutes until the sausage begins to render. Add the bell pepper, garlic, allspice, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook until bell peppers are tender. Add the duck stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a rolling boil then reduce to a simmer. Whisk in file. Cook for approximately one hour. Add stock as needed to maintain volume. Skim any impurities or oil that collects at the top. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with steamed rice.
Crab Bisque Supreme
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
3 tbsp. flour
4 c. fish stock (or low-sodium vegetable broth)
1 c. dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 lb. lump crab meat
Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Get ingredients with
Directions:
In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, heat butter. Add onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay, then stir in garlic and tomato paste. Cook until garlic is fragrant and tomato paste coats vegetables, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle over flour and cook until absorbed, 1 minute more.
Pour in seafood stock and wine, then stir in bay leaf. Reduce heat and let simmer until liquid is reduced and flavors meld, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
Remove bay leaf and puree soup with an immersion blender on high until very smooth. Return to medium low heat and stir in heavy cream and half of the crab meat. Cook until just warmed through, about 5 minutes.
Divide among bowls and garnish with remaining crab meat and parsley before serving.
Cuban Black Bean Soup
The Columbia Restaurant
Tampa, Florida
Ingredients:
1 pound black beans
3 quarts water
1 ounce olive oil
1/2 cup garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1 ounce chopped green pepper
½ ounce salt
1/8 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ ounce sugar
¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Soak beans in water overnight in a 4-quart pot.
Bring beans to a boil in the pot, using the same liquid that beans were soaked with and then simmer.
Heat oil and then brown garlic in a pan
Puree onion and peppers, then add puree mixture to oil and garlic in pan, sauté for 4 minutes. Then add mixture to the beans simmering in the pot.
Add salt, cumin, oregano, sugar and pepper to the mixture in the pot.
Stir, and simmer until beans are tender.
Serve with rice, vinegar, olive oil and fresh-baked Cuban bread
Abby J’s Creamy Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Blackhawk Fly Fishing Resort
Clarkesville, Georgia
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, sliced
1 pound of medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 sweet Vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Abby J’s Smokin’ Hot sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
5 cups chicken stock
2 cups corn kernels, canned
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preparation:
Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain excess fat leaving 1 tablespoon in a stockpot.
Add shrimp to the stockpot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 3 minutes; set aside.
Add garlic and onion to the stock pot, and cook, stirring until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in oregano, hot sauce, basil and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 2 minutes and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Whisk in chicken stock, corn and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.
Add heavy cream and puree with an immersion blender. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Serve immediately with shrimp, garnished with bacon and parsley leaves!
Belorussian Beef Borsch
Yelena Hertzberg
Atlanta
Ingredients
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, divided
1 (1 1/4 pound) section bone-in beef shank with a lot of meat, or 1 pound beef stew meat
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 cups beef broth or beef stock divided
4 large beets (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and chopped
4 carrots (1 pound), peeled and chopped
2-3 medium size gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill, divided
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup sour cream (I use non-dairy sour cream because I keep kosher and we don’t mix milk and meat together)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Add the shank slice or stew beef. Let the beef brown lightly on one side, then turn over.
Add the chopped onions to the pot. Let the onions cook and soften, about 5 minutes.
Add 4 cups broth and simmer until the beef is tender:
Pour 4 cups of the beef broth over the beef and onions in the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the meat is falling off-the-bone tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Once the beef has cooked through until tender, remove from the pot, and take the pot off the heat. If you are using a beef shank, remove and discard any bone, connective tissue, and excess fat. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces.
Skim off any excess fat from the liquid in the pot
Return the pot to the stove and add the remaining broth, carrots, beets, and potato. Add the chopped meat to the pot, the sliced cabbage, and a half cup of the fresh dill. Bring to a simmer, and cook for another 15-25 minutes or so, until the cabbage is cooked through.
Add the vinegar and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
The soup is best made a day ahead. (The longer the soup sits, the more it will all turn the deep red color of beets.)
Serve ladled into bowls with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh dill.
