Soup Without Fear

Posted by Maile
At last night’s Very Basic class, Soups and Stocks, Lori told the participants: “Put your class materials away.” (They had handouts like “How to Build a Soup,” “Types of Soups,” and “Soup Garnishes” along with recipes for preparing stocks and for some soups.)

“I was going to blindfold you and let you pick stuff from the pantry to make a soup,” she said. Instead she gave them assignments.

“Here’s what you need to make a soup,
One onion, diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 Cups liquid (stock, water)
3 to 4 Cups vegetables, beans, grains, pasta
½ pound protein (optional)
Seasoning

 “Sauté the onions in the olive oil. Add the remainder of the ingredients and simmer,” she said.

Lori separated the participants into teams, each with a different assignment to prepare:
Corn Chowder with Ranch Crackers or
Thai Curry Soup with Sesame Croutons or
Red Lentil Soup with Gilroy Garlic Bread or
Southwest Chicken Soup with Cream Biscuits

There was a bit of uncertainty – what if it tastes bad; I’ve never done this before; and so on – but Lori reminded them that soup consists of a fat, stock, veggies/protein, and maybe some extras. You can’t fail.

And what about that taste part? Lori taught them how to figure that out, too, but that’s the subject of a future blog.

Blog readers already have the recipe for Gilroy Garlic Bread in a previous post, but here’s the scoop on the Red Lentil Soup. It’s the favorite in Lori’s household.

Assignment #3:     Red Lentil Soup

Fat: Canola or peanut oil

Veggies: 1 carrot, peeled and diced
              1 stalk celery, diced
              2 garlic cloves, minced
       
Stock: Chicken or fish stock

Extras: ½ Cup red lentils
`          ¼ Cup red wine
            2 Tablespoons tomato paste
            1 Tablespoon Italian seasonings
       
Directions:

Saute the carrot, celery, and garlic with the onion.

Add the stock, lentils, red wine, tomato paste, and Italian seasonings. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Use the immersion blender to make a smooth soup.

Did you taste it for seasonings?!

Garnishes: Top with equal parts chopped fresh garlic, parsley, and lemon zest; serve with Gilroy Garlic Bread.