A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell Read Free Book Online

until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.
    Add the vegetable stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.
to prepare the mushrooms
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and paprika; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the sherry and lemon juice; stir gently until the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Season to taste. Cover to keep warm.
    Remove the bay leaves from the soup. In several batches, purée the soup in a blender until smooth.
    Return the soup to the pan. Add more vegetable stock if needed.
to complete the recipe
Add the spinach and simmer over medium heat until it is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season to taste.
    Top each serving with the mushrooms and a sprig of fennel fronds.
advance preparation
This soup will keep for up to 3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. When reheating, stir in vegetable stock to thin as desired. The mushrooms are best when made just before serving.
variation
Omit the sherried mushrooms; garnish the soup with finely shredded Gruyère cheese and a drizzle of truffle oil (see Tips).
    TIPS
    Truffles, the highly prized fungi most abundant in France and Italy, have an earthy aroma and rich, subtle flavor with nutty undertones. But fresh truffles are very expensive and hard to find. Truffle oil, available in many gourmet shops, is wonderful drizzled over bread, salads, pasta, or vegetables. Store the oil in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.
    Fresh fennel (also called finocchio) looks like a flattened bunch of celery with a large, white, bulbous base and feathery green fronds. To use the bulb, cut off the stalks and discard the bottom end. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and slice it crosswise into crescent-shaped slices. The stalks are fibrous, with little use other than adding to stocks. The foliage can be used as a garnish or snipped like dill to use for flavoring. Fennel’s distinct licorice flavor becomes milder when the vegetable is cooked.
    I never eat when I can dine.
    —Maurice Chevalier

Cranberries/Wild Rice
chunky soups and stews
    Fresh Tomato–Orange Soup with Fig Quenelles
    Black Bean Soup with Mango Salsa
    Red Lentil Soup with Pita Croutons
    Arborio Rice Soup
    Moroccan Chickpea Soup with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis
    Farina Dumpling Soup
    Wild Rice-Cranberry Soup
    Asparagus-Leek Soup
    Ratatouille Soup
    jalapeño–Corn Chowder
    Tortilla Soup with Avocado-Corn Salsa
    Caramelized Onion Soup with Herbed Goat Cheese Toasts
    Cashew Chili
    Broccoli-Cheese Soup with Caraway Bread Crumbs
    Asian Noodle Soup with Spinach and Corn
    Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup
    Miso Soup
    Greek Spinach and Orzo Soup
    Tomato-Lentil Soup
    Minestrone with White Beans
    Ribollita
    Pumpkin Stew
    Indian Cumin-Scented Coconut Milk Stew with Basmati Rice
    Moroccan Red Lentil–Bean Stew
    Mediterranean Saffron Stew with Rouille
    Cashew-Carrot Stew
    Acorn Squash and Fava Bean Stew with Bulgur Wheat
    Summer Stew with Couscous
    Roasted Vegetable Stew
    Spicy Green Bean and Potato Stew
    Egyptian Split-Pea Stew
    Chunky soups with lots of vegetables are substantial and satisfying, especially when the vegetables are cut by hand and not a food processor, so the pieces are neat and even, in similar shapes and sizes.
    The cooking time of these recipes depends on how soft you like your vegetables. Here, some are simmered in the stock, others roasted in the oven and then added to the soup. Roasting concentrates a vegetable’s flavor, while simmering integrates it into the soup. Take care when stirring chunky soups so that the vegetables, especially broccoli florets, don’t get broken.
    Chunky vegetable soups can be made more robust with the addition of rice, pasta, beans, or nuts, such as