Winter is Coming
Winter might not matter much here in San Francisco, where the average winter temperature comes in at a balmy 50 degrees. And yet, there’s still something about the shorter days and slightly cooler weather that makes me start to crave the warmth of a hearty bowl of soup.
It’s also time for winter vegetables – leeks, hearty greens like kale and chard, root vegetables and winter squash. They’re all a natural fit for soup, whether they’re swimming in a clear broth or blended into a thick and creamy bowl of goodness.
The Soup Method
I’m going to walk you through two of my favorite soups this week, one blended and one chunky. They both fit into another general method which you can master to make great soups with all kinds of different ingredients and flavors.
Season and sear your meat. If you’re making a soup with meat, I like to start out by seasoning it with salt and pepper and searing it in olive oil in the same dutch oven I’ll use for the soup. Set it aside once it’s browned on all sides. You’ll return it to the pot later.
Sauté your aromatics. Your aromatics might be a classic mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrots, or maybe something simple like leeks and garlic. This is the first opportunity to add herbs and spices as well, maybe some sprigs of thyme or smoked paprika. It all goes into the pot to sauté in olive oil or butter. If you seared meat in step 1, scrape up the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as you stir the aromatics to get all of that flavor mixed in. I also love to add a rind from a good aged parmigiano reggiano at this point and let it brown a bit. It’s a secret soup ingredient that adds a lot of depth and umami, so never throw those rinds away!
Add your base liquid, usually stock. You’ll want about 1-1.5 cups of broth per serving, usually chicken, vegetable, or beef stock. Homemade is preferred of course, but store bought is fine. Make sure to get low sodium stock or broth from the store so you have better control over the seasoning. Same reason we always use unsalted butter, right?
Add any vegetables or meats that need to cook longer. You’re usually going to want to simmer the broth for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle, so any bigger chunks of vegetables or meat that need that long or longer to finish cooking should go in right away with the stock. If you seared your meat earlier and set it aside, don’t forget to get any juices that accumulated while it was resting back into the pot too.
Taste and adjust. In addition to salt, pepper, and parmesan rinds, there are a few more things in our secret soup ingredient arsenal. Anchovy paste, miso paste, soy sauce, and fish sauce are all amazing sources of umami. Vinegar or citrus can brighten our soup. Cider vinegar in particular adds both acid and apple flavor and is a favorite addition.
Simmer. Depending on the soup, this could be anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. The longer you simmer, the more your broth will evaporate and thicken, and of course your ingredients will continue to cook as well. Most of the soups I make simmer for under an hour. If you’re doing a longer simmer, you might need to add ingredients in more stages to make sure you don’t end up with mushy vegetables and tough meats. And remember, it’s a simmer. That means you’re maintaining the heat at just under a boil. You do not want to boil your soup for thirty minutes. To achieve a simmer, bring your soup just to a boil and then turn down the heat until you’re just barely seeing the occasional bubble in the center of the pot.
Add quick-cooking vegetables, fresh herbs, or finished meats. Once you’re nearing the end of your simmer, with hearty greens and root vegetables softened and meats done, you can add anything that doesn’t need much cooking just so it gets warm or wilted. This could be fresh herbs, quick-cooking greens like spinach, pre-cooked meats like sausage, or quick-cooking meats like shrimp.
Taste and adjust again. You’re in the home stretch now with just 5 minutes or so needed to heat the last batch of ingredients through, so now’s the time to get your flavors dialed in. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, a little more of one of our umami bombs if needed, or maybe a squeeze of citrus or splash of vinegar to brighten it up.
Blend. If you’re making creamy soups, an immersion blender is your friend. Remove anything you don’t want blended in, like that rind of parmigiano reggiano, or thyme sprigs or bay leaves. Then blend until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a blender and then pour it back into the pot. Skip this step, obviously, if you’re not making a blended soup.
Garnish and serve. I love a good garnish on soup. Usually something crunchy to offset the softness of the soup ingredients, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of fat: toasted nuts, seeds, breadcrumbs; thinly sliced scallions or chives; chopped parsley or cilantro; a swirl of cream or créme fraîche; a ribbon of olive oil or brown butter.
Caldo Verde with Smoked Paprika Oil, Créme Fraîche and Chives
Caldo verde is one of my absolute favorite soups. It’s a traditional Portuguese recipe that translates to “green soup” because it’s filled with loads of kale. The combination of the savory broth thickened with russet potato, the firm bite of the yukon golds, and the smoky-spicy sausage and oil takes it to the next level. I like to garnish with créme fraîche and chives, but it’s totally optional.
Ingredients
Makes 3-4 servings
Sausage and paprika oil
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 oz andouille sausage (linguica or chorizo would work well too)
I used Aidell’s. 6 oz is 2 of their links. Cut each in half and then slice into half moons.
½ tsp smoked paprika
Aromatics
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Half of one large leek, diced (about 115g)
2 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
1 rind of aged parmigiano reggiano
Broth and soup vegetables
4 cups chicken stock
Half of a large russet potato, peeled, quarter, and chopped into ¼ in slices (about 150g)
2 small yukon potatoes, peeled, quartered, and chopped into ¼ in slices (about 150g)
1 bunch of curly lacinto kale, torn into small pieces (about 150g)
Seasonings
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Cider vinegar
Garnish
Créme fraîche
Minced fresh chives
Preparation
Sear half of the sausage. Heat 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 3 oz chopped andouille sausage and ¼ tsp smoked paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is browned and oil has taken on a deep red color from the paprika. Remove sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon. You’re saving the other half of the sausage for later because we want some of that paprika oil in the soup now and some of it warm and ready to go as garnish at the end.
Sauté the aromatics. Turn the heat down to medium and add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter to your pot with the paprika oil. Once it’s melted, add your leek, 2 cloves of thinly sliced garlic, and rind of parmigiano reggiano if you have it. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.
Add stock and potatoes and bring to a simmer. Pour in 4 cups of chicken stock and add the russet and yukon gold potatoes. Turn the heat up to high until it reaches a boil, then turn it down to keep it just at a simmer.
Taste and adjust seasoning. I added about a ¼ tsp of kosher salt and 30 grinds of black pepper at this stage. I even measured for you. I also added 2 tsp of cider vinegar.
Add the kale. Kale doesn’t need quite as much cooking time as potatoes but it’s still pretty hearty, so you’ll add it just after you’ve got the broth simmering. Note that when you add cold stuff to a hot pan, it cools down! So you’ll want to turn the heat up again as you add the kale a handful at a time and try to keep it at a simmer. It’s not a big deal if it starts boiling again briefly or you lose your simmer, just make sure to get it back to a nice easy simmer once you’re done adding the kale.
Smash the russet potatoes. The reason to use a mix of russet and yukon gold potatoes is that the russets will break down quicker and thicken the broth, while the yukon golds will hold their shape longer. This is a great trick that I now use with most soups that include potatoes. The russets should be starting to break down on their own after 25 minutes of simmering, but you can help them along by pressing them against the side of your pot with a wooden spoon when you stir it occasionally during the simmer.
Add the cooked sausage. Return the sausage and any oil that accumulated on their plate to the soup to warm.
Taste and adjust seasoning again. It was really close to where I wanted it so I only added one more pinch of kosher salt at this stage, and another ½ tsp of cider vinegar.
Sear the rest of the sausage. Repeat step 1 with the remaining sausage, 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, and ¼ tsp of smoked paprika. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage into the soup, and leave the paprika oil in the pan to use as garnish.
Garnish and serve. Ladle the soup into bowls, making sure to get a good mix of broth, kale, potatoes, and sausage in each bowl. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of the paprika oil over each bowl. Spoon a dollop of créme fraîche onto each bowl, and top it with minced chives.
Butternut Squash Soup with Pepitas, Fried Sage, and Brown Butter
The garnishes here are one of my favorite combinations and they go so well with winter squash and warming spices. Miso paste adds salt and umami, cider vinegar brightens with a hint of apple, and brown sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the squash.
Ingredients
Makes 3-4 servings
Aromatics
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Half of one large leek, diced (about 115g)
1 celery stalk, diced (about 70g)
½ medium carrot (about 70g)
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
⅛ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground clove
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg or mace
Broth and soup vegetables
4 cups chicken stock
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes (1.25 lbs/570 g)
¼ cup heavy cream
Seasonings
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Red miso paste
Cider vinegar
Brown sugar
Garnish
Pumpkin seeds/pepitas
Ground nutmeg or mace
Kosher salt
Unsalted butter
Sage leaves
Preparation
Sauté the aromatics. Heat 1 Tbsp of unsalted butter in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Once it’s melted, add your leek, celery, carrots, sprigs of thyme, and bay leaf. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Add ⅛ tsp each of cinnamon, ground clove, and ground nutmeg or mace. Stir and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.
Add stock and squash and bring to a simmer. I like to add the squash first for this soup along with 1 Tbsp of red miso paste. You might want to add a little olive oil too to keep it from getting too dry. Turn the heat up, stir, and sauté for a couple more minutes before adding the stock. A little browning on the squash will bring out more of its flavor and sweetness. Then pour in 4 cups of chicken stock. Turn the heat up to high until it reaches a boil, then turn it down to keep it just at a simmer.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Miso paste is pretty salty, so I held back more on the salt here. I added just two small pinches of kosher salt, and 20 grinds of black pepper.
Blend. After 20 minutes of simmering, the squash should be soft and ready to blend. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs first, add ¼ cup of heavy cream, and blend until smooth. An immersion blender works best, but you can also transfer the soup to a stand blender and then pour it back into the pot.
Taste and adjust seasoning again. I definitely needed more salt, so I added another teaspoon of miso paste first, stirred it in well, and tasted again. It was almost there, so I added just one more pinch of kosher salt and 15 grinds of black pepper. It needed a hit of acid to brighten it too, so I turned to 2 tsp of cider vinegar. Finally, 1 Tbsp of brown sugar brought out the right balance of sweetness.
Prep the garnish. At this point you can take the soup off the heat and cover it or you can keep letting it simmer. I wanted mine to get a little bit thicker so I let it keep simmering while I prepped the garnish.
Fry the pepitas. Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add a Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and ⅛ cup of pumpkin seeds per bowl you are garnishing. Add a pinch of ground nutmeg or mace and a small pinch of kosher salt. Stir and toss as the pepitas toast in the oil. They’ll start to change color from green to light brown and then dark brown. I like to pull them from the heat when they’re mostly light brown with a few greens and dark browns mixed in – they’ll look beautiful, have a wonderful nutty aroma, and a nice crispy bite. Set them aside on a paper towel while you make the fried sage.
Fry the sage in brown butter. You can use the same pan for the sage, just remove it from the heat, wipe it out with a paper towel, and make sure it’s cooled down some so the butter won’t burn. Add 2 Tbsp of butter to the pan off the heat, and once you’re sure it’s not too hot, move it back to the burner and turn the heat to medium-low. Once the butter is melted and foaming has subsided, add 4 sage leaves per bowl, and fry them for about a minute, turn them and fry for one more minute, and then remove to a paper towel. The sage leaves should be crispy, and the butter remaining in the pan should be a medium brown. Pour off the butter into a bowl so it doesn’t keep cooking. If you’ve got some burnt bits in the pan, pour through a fine mesh sieve.
Garnish and serve. Ladle the soup into bowls. Put a spoonful of pepitas in the center of the bowl. Arrange 4 sage leaves around the pepitas. Drizzle a spoonful of brown butter around the rest of the garnish.
I hope this post inspires you to put a pot on the stove and practice your soup game this winter. Make a double batch on Sundays and don’t sweat lunch or side dishes during the week. Or just fire up one of these recipes, tuck into a warm bowl, and enjoy!