These are the dog days of summer, I know. Turning the pages to find this column may have sapped your energy to the point that you cannot contemplate going into the kitchen to perform any task more demanding than pouring a cold beverage.
So no beating, basting or braising today. Instead I want to tempt you into making a pleasing, easy-to-make, easy-to-eat soup with the help of a blender or food processor.
Blender soups strike me as the least demanding category of food preparation. You need liquid, but it can be almost any liquid in an alphabetical gamut that starts with broth and ends with yogurt. In this season, fresh vegetables are a natural (no pun intended) component, but the number of them and amounts are flexible. So is the choice of seasonings, though I must admit a few drops of hot sauce find their way into most of my summer puree creations.
The tortilla soup that follows was prepared by the actress Ann Jeffreys for a March of Dimes Gourmet Gala competition. Joyce Goldstein’s pea soup can be quite tasty made with frozen peas and reduced-salt chicken broth, but she prefers to use freshly shelled peas and chicken stock. Finally, the soupe au pistou is very flexible. To me, it is as if minestrone and pesto had eloped from their native Italy and married after crossing the border to the hills above the French Riviera.
ANN JEFFREYS’ TORTILLA SOUP
Six to eight servings
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons corn oil
4 corn tortillas
1/2 branch epazote, without leaves * (optional)
1 tablespoon cumin powder
2 cups tomato puree
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock or broth
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Optional garnishes:
1 tablespoon tequila per bowl
3 corn tortillas, cut in thin strips and fried
1 avocado, peeled and cubed
1 dab sour cream per bowl
Shredded cooked chicken breast
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* Available in Latin groceries
1. Puree the onion and garlic with 1 tablespoon oil in a food processor or blender. There should be about 1 1/4 cups. Coarsely chop the tortillas.
2. In a large saucepan or pot, heat remaining oil with optional epazote over medium heat. Saute the chopped tortillas until golden. Add the onion-garlic mixture and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cumin, tomato puree, bay leaf, chicken stock and red pepper flakes. Bring liquid to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Let soup cool for 5 minutes. Remove the epazote and bay leaf and discard. Puree soup until smooth, in batches as necessary, in the food processor or blender. (Recipe may be made ahead to this point. Refrigerate, covered, until 20 minutes before serving.)
4. Reheat soup and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with optional garnishes as desired, or pass garnishes at the table and allow guests to help themselves.
JOYCE GOLDSTEIN’S GREEN PEA AND LETTUCE SOUP
Four servings
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup diced onions
4 cups shelled peas (about 6 pounds in the pod)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
3 tightly packed cups romaine, butter or other mild lettuce, cut into 1/2-inch strips
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch of sugar (optional)
Optional garnishes:
Fried bread croutons
Whipped cream with mint
Whipped cream with lemon peel
1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the peas and 2 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer until the peas are tender, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the lettuce strips and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor and return to the saucepan. Thin to the desired consistency with the remaining stock.
3. Reheat the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of sugar for balance if the peas lack sweetness. Serve with optional garnish of choice.
SOUPE AU PISTOU
Six to eight servings
For the soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups cooked beans, kidney preferred
1/2 pound green beans, cut in 2-inch lengths
1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, coarsely chopped
1/4 pound spaghetti, broken into short pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the pistou:
3 or 4 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, cut in small chunks
1/4 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves, tightly packed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin preferred
1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the oil with the onion and carrot until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the potato, tomato, broth and water. Bring liquid to a boil, lower the heat, partially cover the pan and simmer until vegetables are very soft, 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Add the cooked beans, green beans, zucchini and spaghetti and cook an additional 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the pistou.
With the motor running, drop garlic and cheese chunks into a food processor. After 10 seconds, add the basil and tomato paste. When blended, slowly pour in the oil and blend until smooth. Taste the sauce and, if desired, season with salt and pepper. Transfer it to a bowl. (Soup and pistou may be prepared ahead. Cover and refrigerate separately until 30 minutes before serving.)
4. Reheat the soup, if necessary. Ladle some over the pistou and stir, then pour the pistou mixture into the soup. Serve in bowls with plenty of rustic bread.
