Three Yummy Recipes from 300 Sensational Soups

Do you love soup?  Then 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds is a must-have title for your cookbook collection.  The recipes in this collection contain soups for every season--warm ones for winter and cool ones for summer.  It even contains an entire chapter of dessert soups--something I have never heard of, but with recipes like Chilled Minted Melon Soup and Coco-Mocha Soup with Hazelnut Biscotti, it makes me think soup for dessert might just be a great thing.

The book chapters include:

• Soup Stocks
• Chilled Soups
• Fresh from the Garden Vegetable Soups
•  Beans, Beans and More Beans Soups
• Cheese Please Soups
• Hearty Soups for Meat Lovers
• Chicken and Turkey Soups to Comfort the Soul
• Go Fish:  Fish and Shellfish Soups
• Chow Down Chowders
• A World of Soups
• Just Dessert Soups
• Gilding the Lily:  Toppings and Garnishes

The first recipe I tried from this book was Chicken and Dumpling Soup on a gray fall day.  It was a huge hit in my family and absolutely delicious!  And, it was very easy to make!

Here are three soup recipes from the book that I would like to try:

Vegetarian Soups / Kid Favs – page 79

Butternut Squash Soup with Nutmeg Cream

The flavor of freshly grated nutmeg in an unsweetened whipped cream makes a lovely complement to the sweet butternut squash soup.

Tip:  For best results when whipping, make sure the cream and your bowl and whip are cold.

Serves 6

1⁄4 cup unsalted butter               50 mL

1         butternut squash (about 2 lbs/1 kg),    1
           peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

1         clove garlic, minced              1

1 cup   finely chopped onion         250 mL

1 tsp     salt                           5 mL

1⁄2 tsp   ground coriander               2 mL

1⁄2 tsp   dried thyme                    2 mL

Pinch   freshly ground black pepper   Pinch

5 cups  chicken or vegetable stock   1.25 L

1⁄2 cup  orange juice                 125 mL

1⁄2 cup  whipping (35%) cream         125 mL

Pinch  freshly grated nutmeg (see tip, page 81)     Pinch

          Cayenne pepper

          Soft baby sage leaves (optional)

Nutmeg Cream

1⁄2 cup   cold whipping (35%) cream    125 mL

1⁄4 tsp   freshly grated nutmeg          1 mL

1.   In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add squash, garlic and onion; sauté for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add salt, coriander, thyme and black pepper; sauté for 5 minutes. Add stock and orange juice; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until
squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

2.   Using an immersion blender, or in a food processor or blender in batches, purée soup until smooth. Return to the pot, if necessary. Stir in cream, nutmeg and cayenne to taste; reheat over medium heat, stirring often, until steaming. Do not let boil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper,
if necessary.

3.   Prepare the nutmeg cream: In a bowl, using an electric mixer, whip cream until soft peaks form. Add nutmeg and whip until well blended.

4.   Ladle soup into heated bowls and top each with a dollop of nutmeg cream. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired.

 Excerpted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds © 2012 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca All rights reserved: May not be reprinted without publisher permission

Hearty Soup for Meat Lovers – page 114

Wild Mushroom and Orzo Soup with Italian Meatballs

Wild mushrooms have a big, beefy flavor that partners well with meatballs. This soup’s gutsy Italian flavors are sure to make it one of your favorites.

Tip: Grocery stores sometimes carry uncooked meatballs, packaged in the meat case, that they have made up themselves. We think it makes good sense to take advantage of this step-saving bonus, especially when the meatballs are of good quality. One caveat, though, is that store-bought meatballs are usually on the large side. We cut them in half and then reroll them into a ball. It only takes a minute, and they are a more “attackable” size in your soup bowl.

Serves 6 to 8

2 tbsp  unsalted butter               25 mL

2 tbsp  olive oil                     25 mL

1         large onion, minced               1

11⁄2 lbs  wild (exotic) mushrooms, sliced 750 g

1           stalk celery, chopped             1

1 tsp     salt                           5 mL

1 tsp     dried basil                    5 mL

1 tsp     dried oregano                  5 mL

6 cups   beef or chicken stock         1.5 L

          Italian Meatballs (see recipe, page 368)

1 cup     orzo                         250 mL

1⁄4 cup   minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley     50 mL

2 tsp     freshly squeezed lemon juice  10 mL

1⁄4 cup   freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 50 mL
          cheese

          Freshly ground black pepper

          Additional freshly grated
          Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1.   In a large pot, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, celery, salt, basil and oregano; sauté until vegetables begin to soften and mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes.

2.   Add stock and bring to a boil. Carefully add meatballs and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until meatballs are cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and bring soup to a boil. Stir in orzo and boil until tender, about 8 minutes. Add parsley, lemon juice, cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

3.   Ladle into heated bowls and pass additional cheese at the table.

  

 Excerpted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds © 2012 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca All rights reserved: May not be reprinted without publisher permission

Raspberry and White Chocolate Swirl Soup with Brownie Croutons

Tart and sweet raspberry soup is matched perfectly with the rich creaminess of white chocolate. Dark, intensely chocolate brownie croutons make the perfect accompaniment.

Tip: The soup can be prepared through Step 2 up to 1 day ahead.

Serves 6

2    packages (each 12 oz/375 g) unsweetened frozen raspberries 

          (about 3 cups/750 mL)

11⁄4 cups water                        300 mL

1⁄2 cup    granulated sugar             125 mL

1⁄2 cup    seedless raspberry jam       125 mL

2 tbsp    Grand Marnier, divided        25 mL

1⁄2 cup    whipping (35%) cream         125 mL

4 oz       white chocolate, chopped      125 g

          Brownie Croutons (brownies, chopped into small pieces)

1.   In a small saucepan, bring raspberries, water and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and raspberries have softened or broken down, about 4 minutes.

2.   In a food processor or blender, purée raspberry mixture, jam and 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the Grand Marnier until smooth. 

Strain into a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.

3.   In another saucepan, bring cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and add white chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes, then whisk until melted and smooth. Stir in the remaining Grand Marnier. Let cool.

4.   Ladle raspberry soup into chilled shallow bowls. Gently drop 5 to 6 spoonfuls of the white chocolate mixture onto the soup. Draw a chopstick or knife through the chocolate mixture to create a marbled effect. Serve with brownie croutons.

Excerpted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds © 2012 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca All rights reserved: May not be reprinted without publisher permission


Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book to facilitate this review.  I was not compensated for this review.  As always, this review contains my honest opinions.