1,000 Jewish Recipes (177 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
This soup is popular for dairy meals in the kitchens of Jews of Polish origin. To turn it into a
fleishig
(meat-based) soup, substitute chicken stock for the vegetable stock and the milk. You can heat sliced chicken or turkey frankfurters in the chicken version of the soup after you have pureed it.
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 pound)
1 medium onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
4 cups vegetable stock or broth
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1
â
2
cup milk, half and half, or whipping cream, or more if needed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1.
Combine potatoes, onion, carrot, and stock in a medium saucepan. Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat about 25 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Puree soup in a blender or with a hand blender.
2.
Return soup to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add
1
â
2
cup milk and heat through. If soup is too thick, stir in more milk or vegetable stock. Adjust seasoning. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
 or
Â
Also known as cabbage borscht, this is a favorite of Jews from Poland. Traditionally it's made with beef bones and beef flanken, a cut of chuck with bones, or with brisket or stew meat cooked in water to make a rich broth. The beef is served in the soup. This is a much quicker, lighter version that can be vegetarian if you use vegetable broth. If you like, serve it with boiled potatoes.
6 cups beef or vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juice
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
4
cup raisins
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
Combine broth, onion, and tomatoes in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes. Add cabbage, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Add raisins and sugar and simmer 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and heat through. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.
 or
Â
Unlike many other Ashkenazic cabbage soups, this thick and hearty one gains its character from garlic, paprika, and hot pepper, and is not sweet and sour.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, diced
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
6 to 8 cups beef or vegetable stock, or stock mixed with water
1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery, sliced
1 large head green cabbage, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
1
â
3
cup water
1
â
4
teaspoon hot paprika or cayenne pepper, or to taste
1.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and sauté over medium heat about 7 minutes or until begin- ning to turn golden. Add garlic and paprika and sauté 30 seconds.
2.
Add 6 cups stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add celery, cabbage, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until cabbage is tender, adding stock or water if soup becomes too thick. Mix flour, tomato paste, and water in a small bowl until smooth. Gradually add to soup, stirring. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt, pepper, and hot paprika. Serve hot.
When you want to have a satisfying soup in a hurry, it's good to remember the easy technique in this recipe: Cook a hard-shelled squash in the microwave while you prepare your soup base of onions cooked in broth. It saves lots of time in both cutting and cooking. All you need to do is scoop out the cooked pulp of the squash and add it to the soup.
Dill is a popular flavoring for soup among many Jewish communities, from Ashkenazic to Iraqi to Indian. For an extra special touch, serve the soup with
Dill Matzo Balls
.
If you are serving this soup at a meatless meal, top it with sour cream or yogurt of any degree of richness. Accompany it by good quality pumpernickel or whole-wheat bread.
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 large onions, halved and sliced
5 cups vegetable broth
1 cup hot water
1 butternut squash (about 1
3
â
4
to 2 pounds)
1
â
2
teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2
1
â
2
teaspoons dried
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or stew pan. Add onions and sauté over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add broth and hot water, cover, and bring to boil. Cook 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
2.
Meanwhile, halve squash, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove seeds. Scoop out flesh; it will be soft.
3.
Add squash and allspice to soup. If using dried dill, add it now. Cook over low heat 7 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh dill if using. Add cayenne and adjust seasoning. Serve hot, sprinkled with remaining dill.
Sorrel is a popular soup green in the Polish-Jewish and Hungarian-Jewish kitchen. Often it is made into a sweet and sour soup called
schav
and can also be purchased in bottles under that name. Sorrel is also made into a creamy soup with potato, so the cream and potato soften the sharp taste of the greens. If you prefer, you can add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl instead of stirring it into the pot of soup.
Baked Croutons
or
Light Croutons
are a popular accompaniment.
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
4 medium boiling potatoes, diced
6 cups water
8 ounces fresh sorrel
1
â
3
to
1
â
2
cup sour cream, regular, low-fat, or nonfat
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onion, and sauté 5 minutes over medium heat. Add potatoes, water, and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat 30 minutes.
2.
Remove stems of sorrel and wash leaves thoroughly. Chop leaves finely. Add sorrel to soup and cook 5 to 10 minutes or until very tender.
3.
If you would like a smooth texture, puree soup in blender. Serve hot or cold. If serving hot, reheat just before serving, stir in sour cream, and heat through, stirring; do not boil. If serving cold, simply stir in sour cream. Adjust seasoning.
COLD SOUPS