The Essential James Beard Cookbook (12 page)

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Authors: James Beard

BOOK: The Essential James Beard Cookbook

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Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls; arrange 2 or 3 of the fried bread croutons on top of each and sprinkle each with about 2 tablespoons of the remaining cheese. Put in a 450°F oven or under a hot broiler until the cheese melts and forms a thick browned crust.

LENTIL SOUP WITH CHARD AND LEMON

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

A rather different, Syrian version of lentil soup, tartened by lemon juice, that is also delicious served cold. Serve with crusty French or Italian bread.

1½ cups lentils

2½ pounds Swiss chard or spinach

½ cup olive oil

3 to 4 garlic cloves

Kosher salt

¾ cup chopped yellow onion

1 celery rib, chopped

¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Put the lentils in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and simmer, covered, until tender—between 30 and 45 minutes, depending upon processing; taste to see when done. Wash and chop the chard or spinach, and add to the lentils with 1 cup water. Cook until the chard is wilted.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Crush the garlic with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic until soft, then add to the lentils. Mix the lemon juice and flour and stir into the soup. Simmer, stirring, until the soup thickens slightly. Taste and correct seasoning. Serve in soup bowls, with crusty French or Italian bread.

VARIATION

LENTIL SOUP WITH COTECHINO:
Poach a cotechino with the lentils during the first cooking. Remove, slice, and add to the finished soup.

Editor: Cotechino is a not-too-spicy Italian sausage, somewhat similar to salami, but raw. It must be cooked before serving. Look for it at Italian specialty butchers or online.

SORREL SOUP

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Editor: Sorrel makes its annual appearance in spring. Soup, either piping hot (but not boiling) or icy cold, is one of the most popular ways to use this tart green. Note that Beard uses oil, and not butter, as the fat here, because butter hardens into a gritty consistency in a chilled soup.

1 pound sorrel

6 tablespoons peanut oil

3 cups
Chicken Stock

1 cup heavy cream

3 large egg yolks

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash the sorrel well, remove the stems, and cut the leaves into thin strips. Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the sorrel, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until it is wilted. Add the stock and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes over medium heat. Remove the pan from the stove and allow the soup to cool slightly. Purée the sorrel in a blender with the lid ajar or a food processor. Return to the saucepan. Beat together the heavy cream and egg yolks in a bowl. Gradually whisk this into the soup, and season with salt and pepper. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and cook the soup over medium heat until it thickens slightly—being sure not to let it boil. Serve hot, or chill the soup and serve cold.

VARIATIONS

SORREL SOUP WITH CRÈME FRAÎCHE:
Add ½ cup crème fraîche to the soup after thickening with egg yolks and cream.

SORREL-YOGURT SOUP:
Do not add the cream and egg thickening. After chilling the soup, stir in plain yogurt to taste. Serve cold.

TURKISH CUCUMBER AND YOGURT SOUP

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Editor: For a light soup, use low-fat, but not nonfat, yogurt. Whole milk yogurt is not low in fat or calories, but it makes a superior end product. If you find the elongated, thin-skinned Persian cucumbers at a farmers’ market, just scrub and seed them without peeling.

1 large or 2 small cucumbers

Kosher salt

2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled

3 cups yogurt, preferably whole milk

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint or 1 tablespoon dried mint, crushed

Freshly ground black pepper

Peel the cucumber and either shred or dice finely. If diced, sprinkle lightly with salt and put in a colander over a bowl to drain for 30 minutes (shredding will remove most of the water from the cucumber), then taste. If salty, rinse with cold water, then drain again.

Crush the garlic cloves with ¼ teaspoon salt to a paste with a mortar and pestle. Mix in 3 tablespoons of the yogurt, then mix the garlic paste into the remaining yogurt. Beat the yogurt with an electric hand mixer (or whirl it briefly in the blender), which will liquidize it slightly. Mix in the cucumber and mint. Taste and add more salt, if needed, and 1 teaspoon pepper. If the soup seems rather thick, thin with a little cold water to the desired consistency, but do not make it too liquid. Serve in chilled soup cups.

VARIATION

IRANIAN CUCUMBER AND YOGURT SOUP:
Omit the mint and add ½ cup seedless raisins, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, and just before serving, 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs.

SQUASH AND CORN SOUP

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

This interesting combination of squash and corn is typical of Latin America, but the touch of ginger makes it a little different.

Editor: The soup is usually served with sliced corn on the cob, but it is just as good with the corn kernels cut from the cob. In that case, add the cob to the pot when making the vegetable broth.

5 to 6 cups
Vegetable Broth

1 or 2 small yellow crookneck or other summer squash, cut into ½-inch slices

1 leek, white and pale green part only, cut into ½-inch rounds, well washed

1 green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, cut into thin strips

1 large garlic clove, crushed

2 or 3 slices peeled fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

1 ear corn, shucked, split lengthwise, and cut into thin slices

Kosher salt

Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, for serving

Put the vegetable broth, squash, leek, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and thyme in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour. Add the corn. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve sprinkled with the grated cheese.

UDON NOODLE SOUP

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

The Japanese make a specialty of hearty soups full of thick, slippery udon noodles. Buy them in an Asian grocery. And be sure that the broth is dense with good things to eat.

6 cups cold water

1½ pounds chicken necks, wings, and backs

2 leeks, white part plus 2 inches of the green, split lengthwise and washed well to remove grit

6 slices fresh ginger

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large egg whites, beaten

4 ounces udon noodles

1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced

1 bunch scallions, white part plus 2 inches of the green, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 packed cups thinly sliced napa cabbage

Combine the water and chicken parts in a large saucepan. Add the leeks, ginger, salt, and pepper. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, skim off the froth that rises to the top, and simmer 30 to 45 minutes, partially covered.

Line a colander with several layers of rinsed cheesecloth and pour the hot broth through it into a bowl. Discard the solids in the colander, wash out the saucepan, and return the soup to the pot. Bring to a boil and swirl in the beaten egg whites. When the broth returns to the boil, remove from the heat, and strain it again through a colander lined with rinsed cheesecloth.

Cook the noodles in boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse well. Place the noodles, radishes, scallions, and napa cabbage in individual soup bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the vegetables and serve at once.

VICHYSSOISE

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Louis Diat, who created this famous soup while he was chef at the Ritz in New York, allowed me and my partner, the late William Rhode, to sell it in our shop Hors d’Oeuvre Inc. It was a great hit with New Yorkers in our vicinity, who would order it to take away on weekends.

Editor: In the early 1940s, Beard was co-owner, with Bill Rhode and his sister Irma, of Hors d’Oeuvre Inc., a catering business that put him on the culinary map. Note that Beard always insisted that Hors d’Oeuvre be spelled without a final “s,” as this is correct French, meaning “outside or apart from the main work” (i.e., the main course).

6 leeks

4 cups
Chicken Stock

3 baking potatoes, peeled and finely diced

1 cup sour cream or heavy cream (preferably sour cream)

Kosher salt

Freshly grated nutmeg

Finely chopped chives, for garnish

Trim and wash the leeks well. Cut off green tops, leaving only the white part. Slice this rather fine. Put the leeks in a large saucepan with the broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are well cooked. Strain the potato mixture into a bowl, reserving the broth. Purée the vegetables in a blender with the lid ajar or in a food processor. Combine the broth and purée and chill for 24 hours. A few minutes before serving, stir in the sour cream. Add salt to taste and a dash of nutmeg, and chill again for a few minutes. Serve in chilled cups with finely chopped chives on top.