Tomato Soup

My father-in-law, Bill had a large crop of tomatoes in August. Tomato soup seemed like a fun project. I modeled a recipe similar to the sauce for matar paneer. An Internet search turned up the basic ingredient list that was modified to match what vegetables we had on hand.

Tomato Soup 1

11 cups tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped onion (1 small onion)
1/2 cup chopped carrot (1 carrot)
1/2 cup chopped celery (2 small stalks)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon herbs du Provence
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Water as needed

Like matar paneer sauce. Brown onions in oil. Add carrots and celery. Brown lightly. Add garlic and spices. Add 1 cup water. Cook until nearly dry. Add about 3 cups tomatoes and cook until dry and pulpy. Goal is to get minor browning of tomatoes (maillard reaction). Repeat adding tomatoes in 3 cup batches and cooking until all tomatoes have been added. Add 2 to 3 cups water, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Cool and blend. Add salt and sugar.

Tomato Soup 2

14 cups chopped tomatoes
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
1 parsnip
2 1/2 carrots
1 red bell pepper, roasted
1 frying pepper, roasted
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon herbs du Provence

Some soup recipes call for baking soda. I find if I want to make cream of tomato, lowering the acid with a pinch baking soda will help prevent the milk from curdling in the hot soup.

Batch 2

A Tale of Two Cherries

Sour Cherry Soup

Sour cherries are in season so it’s time to make soup. This is a favorite of Irene’s. While various Hungarian cookbooks have fruit soups bases on peaches, gooseberries, and other fruits, Irene only remembers sour cherry and one based on prunes.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Cherries for the Sweeter Version

I saw dark and light red sour cherries at the farmers market and ended up buying some of both. I made one with less sugar, since Liz doesn’t like her soup too sweet. I also left the spices out of the more sweet version. I kept the sour cream separate so I could make a lighter version with Greek and whole milk yogurt.

Hungarian Sour Cherry Soup (Meggykeszoce)

Less sweet version

2 pounds dark sour cherries
3 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
1 inch piece of vanilla bean
Rind of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kirsch

More sweet version

1 1/2 pounds of sour cherries (mix of dark and light)
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 inch piece of vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon kirsch

Cook cherries in water with sugar and spices until soft, about 10 minutes. Cool and add kirsch. Remove the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean.

Cream the soup with sour cream, sour cream and heavy cream, or a yogurt mix.

Update: Irene’s response after tasting, “finom” (fine or very good)

Cherries for the Less Sweet Version

Pitted Cherries

Cherry Pitter

Cinnamon and Vanilla Bean

Lemon Rind

Cherries for the Sweeter Version

Simmering the Sweeter Version

Simmering the Less Sweet Version

Vanilla Bean

Kirsch

The Yogurt

Cooling the Soup

Sour Cherry Soup

Vegetable Soup With Smoked Ribs

Simmering the Soup

Irene and Bill love their smoked ribs (Liz likes them too). As usual when cooking for Irene, cabbage and beans are out, even though they are the most traditional uses for the ribs. These ribs came from the Hungarian meat store in Yorkville (upper east side), which so far, have the best smoked flavor I’ve found.

Vegetable Soup With Smoked Ribs

2 tablespoons fat (I used what came off the rib broth)
2 small onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 bulb fennel, diced
1 bay leaf
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp paprika
1 cup rib stock
3/4 pound diced rib meat (from boiling the stock)
Parsley, chopped

Roux
1 tablespoon fat
1 tablespoon flour

Simmer the ribs in water to cover for about 1 hour, until he meat is tender. Remove the ribs from the pot and when cool enough to handle, remove the meat, returning the bones, fat and everything else to the pot. Simmer another couple hours. Strain and cool in refrigerator until the fat hardens on top. Remove fat and set aside.

Sweat onions in 1 tablespoon fat until they start to get translucent. Add the fennel and sweat a little more. Add the tomatoes, garlic and apple. Cook until the tomatoes dry out and start to brown a little. The apple should be soft as well.

Add the paprika, rib stock with additional water to cover, bay leaf, carrots, parsnip, and celery and simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Make a roux with any rib fat, bacon grease (I had some leftover, and didn’t have enough fat from the ribs), or butter. Add water or broth to the roux to thin it to a gravy like consistency.

Stir the roux into the soup and bring to a boil to thicken. Chop the rib meat and add, along with the parsley. Salt and pepper to taste (the rib stock should provide a significant amount of salt).

Simmering the Ribs

The Cooked Ribs

The Rib Meat

Simmering the Bones

Not a Beer (Rib Stock)

The Fat Removed from the Stock

Fennel

Tomatoes

Onions and Fennel

Adding the Tomatoes

Simmering the Soup

Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Soup

Irene likes soup made with the leftover boiling water from the Easter ham. Cabbage is a favorite, but she can’t tolerate the gas anymore. My solution is to use her other favorite vegetables.

I use one of my ‘secret’ ingredients in the soup–a little peeled apple. It falls apart, making the broth a little sweeter. It may not fall apart by the time the tomatoes are pulpy, but it should vanish by the time the soup is cooked.

Vegetable Soup

1 parsnip, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
5 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
2 Potatoes, peeled and crossly chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika
black pepper and salt to taste
Ham, 1/2 cup diced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 apple, peeled and chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
Stock to cover
3/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fat (used bacon fat)

Cook onions in fat until translucent. Add chopped apple. Let it soften. Add plum tomatoes and cook until pulpy. The goal is to have the tomato brown a little and the apples disintegrate. Add the parsnip, carrots and celery and sweat. Add stock, paprika and black pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add parsley at end. Adjust salt to taste

The Veggies

Apple

Chopped Vegetables

Onions

Onions, Tomatoes and Apples

Adding the Root Vegatables

Adding the Parsley

Vegetable Soup

Low Point Cabbage Soup

Cabbage Soup (Vegetarian)

I like to make vegetarian cabbage soup and add kielbasa to the individual bowls. That way those who want to keep vegetarian, can leave the meat out. The root veggies can be whatever you find in the market. My veggie stock is a combination of many ingredients. A few secrets are beer or wine for flavor, apples or apple juice to sweeten, and a small amount of black coffee for bitterness (much like red-eye gravy can taste like roast beef). It is also important to brown the onions, garlic and tomatoes to increase the umami flavor. This is another soup that is low in points for Liz (until you add the kielbasa).
 
Cabbage Soup
 
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions, diced
1 clove garlic, mashed
3/4 cup diced roasted tomatoes (canned)
1 apple, peeled and diced

3 carrots, sliced
1 large parsnip, sliced
1/2 celery root, diced
1 small turnip, diced
1 bay leaf

1 small cabbage (about 2 lb), shredded

1/2 cup beer
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup coffee
Water as needed
Salt
Pepper

Cook onion in oil and allow to brown slightly, add garlic and cook briefly. Add tomatoes and cook until dry. The tomato should start to brown in bottom of the pan. Add the apples and cook a few minutes more.

Add bay leaf, beer, soy sauce and coffee, along with enough water to cover. Simmer mixture about 15 min. The goal is to have the have apples disintegrate into the broth. This is to give them a head start cooking.

Add the root vegetables and water to just cover and simmer another r10 minutes.

Add cabbage, more water to cover, salt and pepper. Simmer another 15 minutes until the cabbage is just tender.

Serve with a few slices of smoked kielbasa.

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients

The Ingredients

Prepped Vegetables

The Prepped Vegetables

The Tomatoes

Secret Ingredient #1

Browning the Onions

Browning the Apples and Tomatoes

Secret Ingredient #3

The Vegetables

Cooking the Vegetablea

Cabbage Soup (Vegetarian)

Fungus

Mushroom Soup

This is another low-point soup for Liz. By keeping the barley separate, she can add as much as she likes and keep the points down (the oil is the only item adding points).

Browning the ingredients brings out the umami flavor. Don’t skimp on browning the mushrooms, onions or tomato paste.

Mushroom Soup

2 to 3 pounds mushrooms, cleaned and sliced. (I used a mix of white button and crimini)
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, mashed
2 tablespoons oil, divided

2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika

2 small turnips, peeled and diced
3 carrots sliced
1 large parsnip, sliced
1/2 large celery root, peeled and diced

2 bay leaves
Salt
Pepper
Water as needed

Soak the porcini mushrooms in 2 cups hot water.

Sauté and brown the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon oil. The trick is to add the mushrooms in small handfuls and waiting until they start to brown before adding the next handful. If there is any liquid in the pan, let it dry out, add a tiny bit more oil, and add the mushrooms in smaller amounts.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan, add the second tablespoon oil and cook the onions. Allow them to get a little brown and add the garlic. Briefly cook and add the tomato paste.

If the porcini are in big pieces, remove from the soaking liquid (save the liquid) and chop.

Add the paprika (only cook it for seconds, or it will get bitter) and the porcini, soaking water, chopped vegetables, bay, a little salt and pepper. Add water to cover and simmer about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Serve with cooked barley (I tried unhulled barley instead of pearled). Add sour cream or fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

The Veggies

The Dried Porcini

Soaking the Porcini

Slicing the Fungus

Cooking the Mushrooms

The Raw Mushrooms

The Cooked Mushrooms

Uncooked Unhulled Barley

Mushroom Soup

Leek and Celery Soup

Leek and Celery Soup

Leek and potato soup is basically equal weights of potatoes and leeks. Water or stock, something green, like tarragon for flavor and some fat (usually cream or half and half) to finish. The cooking fat can range from butter to olive oil. Any stock or water can be used.
In my efforts to make a low point soup for Liz, I replaced some of the potato with celery root for this recipe. I switch off between herbs du Provence and tarragon and sometimes add bay leaf as well (remove before blending). Today I chose tarragon. If I want to keep it vegan, I’ll finish with extra virgin olive oil. This time I used sour cream (and kept it separate, so Liz can control how much, if any, she puts in).

Leek and Celery Soup

3 large leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 small celery root, diced
1 small potato, diced
1 tablespoon oil
Water as needed
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
Small squeeze of lemon juice
Dollop of sour cream

Sweat leeks in oil until they start to turn translucent. Add potatoes and celery root. Sweat a bit more then add water, salt, pepper, and tarragon. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender. Add lemon and sour cream and adjust salt and pepper.

The Veggies

Chopped Leek

Simmering the Vegetables

Blending the Soup

Leek and Celery Soup

White Beans and Kale

Liz really likes kale and this soup is one of her favorites too.

White Beans and Kale

White Beans and Kale

2 cups great northern beans (or other white beans)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves

Soak beans overnight. Drain.

Cook beans with garlic and bay leaf in 5 cups water. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 bunches lacinato kale
1 tablespoon herbs du Provence (crush slightly in a mortar and pestle)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups stock (used chicken, broth from a smoked ham or ribs is best)
Salt
Black pepper

Remove stems from kale and chop finely. Keep separate from leaves. Chop leaves crosswise in 1 inch strips.

Sauté onions in oil until soft. Add garlic, and kale stems. Allow stems to soften slightly. Add spices, and leaves. Stir fry until leaves start to wilt and add chicken stock. Add beans and enough cooking liquid for desired consistency (and extra water if necessary).

Bring to simmer, adjust salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Red Lentil Soup

Red Lentil Soup

My mother-in-law, Irene, is in a rest home and her husband, Bill, usually cook and brings her lunch, since she is a bit of a picky eater. Bill has been sick for the past few days, and has not visited. This morning I threw a quick soup together, realizing that she was probably missing Bill’s cooking. It had to be something she’d eat, and made with what I had on hand, as I wouldn’t have time to go shopping.

 

I’ve made her red lentil soup when I’ve had ham-water (from boiling a Hungarian smoked ham) or stock form smoked pork ribs. Today I had to settle for boxed chicken stock with kielbasa.

While red lentils are not a Hungarian staple, I’d call this recipe Hungarian because I put it together to suit my Hungarian mother-in-laws picky palate. Hungarian white bean soup was the inspiration (pork stock, paprika and sausage), but as Irene does not like eating beans anymore, I’ve stitched to red lentils. It’s finished with lots of fresh parsley because Irene loves parsley. She was happy we visited, and seemed to enjoy the soup. (I like the soup as well)

Red Lentil Soup

1/2 pound kielbasa sliced
2 small onions, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon oil

1 1/2 cup red lentils
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
About 2 1/2 cups water
2 bay leaves

3 small carrots, sliced
1 large parsnip, sliced
1/2 celery root, diced
2 small potatoes, diced
2 stalks celery, diced

1 cup chopped parsley
Lemon juice
Salt
Pepper

Brown kielbasa in the oil and remove from pan.
Lightly brown onions. Add tomato paste and brown slightly. Add garlic and briefly cook. Add paprika, stir once and add stock. Add lentils, water, bay leaf.

Bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes. Add vegetables (and more water if needed), bring back to a boil and simmer another 15 to 20 minutes.

Add parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon and kielbasa.

Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Red Cabbage and Beet Soup

Since Liz is watching what she eats and is using a commercial program, the goal of this recipe was to make a soup that will have very low points.

Red Cabbage and Beet Soup

The recipe is a combination of borscht recipes I used to make, leaning heavily on one vegetarian version. Of course I like it with a few slices of real kielbasa (that’s not diet anymore).
 
Red Cabbage and Beet Soup
 
4 large beets, diced
2 onions (1 red, 1 yellow), chopped
1/2 celery root, diced (about 1 cup)
1 apple, peeled and diced
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1 bay leaf
1 cup apple juice
Water to cover

1 large red cabbage, shredded

Rice vinegar to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
Sugar to taste (about 1 tablespoon)
Salt and pepper to taste

Simmer all the vegetables, except the cabbage, for 15 minutes. Add the cabbage. Simmer until cabbage and other vegetables are tender. Add vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.

Garnish:
Grated fresh horseradish mixed into strained Greek yogurt or sour cream
Scallions
Kielbasa