Some of the best soups I’ve made required minimal preparation. Chop a bit of this, add a bit of that and start simmering. No advanced sautéing of vegetables required.
Today’s three recipes meet that standard, but two of them do need to be puréed, a task that can be made less fussy if you invest in an immersion (hand) blender.
More on that kitchen tool in a moment, but let me first tell you how my soups are flavoured.
One is an Asian-style soup that’s not puréed and cooks up in just a few minutes. The process begins by simmering garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sliced oyster mushrooms in stock until the latter are just tender.
Now you swirl some sliced baby spinach into the pot and cook it until just wilted. Next, ladle the soup into warm bowls filled with cubes of soft tofu. The piping-hot stock will quickly warm the tofu and you end up with an aromatic soup perfect to enjoy for lunch when you want something light, but flavourful.
Simmering bits of asparagus, leek and potato in stock until tender is how you start making my second soup. Sprigs of dill and parsley are added to the pot, and then it is puréed.
The last-minute addition of those fresh herbs gives the soup a glorious, spring-green colour. In the bowl, for added richness, small nuggets of blue cheese are set on the soup, as well as a sprinkling of one more type of herb, snipped chives.
This asparagus and leek soup makes a fine first course and could also provide a satisfying lunch when served with some good bread or a sandwich.
My last soup sees budget-friendly carrots whirled into a tongue-tantalizing soup flavoured with such things as curry paste, ginger and coconut. Once in the bowl, the soup is topped with a refreshing dollop of yogurt strewn with some mint or cilantro. I like to serve this soup for lunch with warm naan bread or crispy papadams, both of which are great for dunking into it.
As I noted, an immersion blender is a handy tool to have on hand for puréeing soups right in the pot. That eliminates the need to transfer the hot soup mixture to a food processor or blender to purée it there, and then to have to wash those implements.
An immersion blender is basically a stick-shaped tool with blender blades at the bottom end. If you don’t have one, you’ll find them at most hardware and department stores. Beyond soup, you can use it to blend up other things, such as smoothies, batters, salad dressings and mayonnaise.
Immersion blenders come in a range of prices, but no matter which type you select, if you are going to use it for soups, make sure you get one that is heatproof, as some are only designed for puréeing cold foods.
All of today’s soups can be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock or broth to make them. If you can’t have dairy, you could omit the cheese and yogurt, although they won’t be quite as rich tasting.
Asian-style Spinach and Tofu with Oyster Mushrooms
This aromatic and palate-awakening soup is flavoured with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and as much chili sauce as you like.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: About five minutes
Makes: four servings
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
8 to 10 small to medium oyster mushrooms, bottom stems trimmed, caps and upper stems thickly sliced lengthwise
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 (10 oz/300 g) pkg. soft tofu, cut into 1Ú2-inch cubes
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach, stems removed, leaves thickly sliced
• Asian-style chili sauce, such as Sriracha, to taste
Place the stock, mushrooms, ginger, garlic and soy sauce in a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for three to four minutes, until mushrooms just soften.
Divide the tofu among four heated shallow soup bowls. Swirl the spinach into the simmering stock and cook for one minute, until just wilted.
Ladle the soup into the bowls and serve. Let diners flavour their soup, as desired, with chili sauce.
Asparagus and Leek Soup with Three Herbs and Blue Cheese
Two spring vegetables combine in this lovely flavoured with dill, parsley and chives.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: About 20 minutes
Makes: four servings
1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and sliced
1 cup chopped leeks, white and pale green part only
1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed yellow-flesh potatoes
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
1/4 cup packed fresh parley sprigs
1/4 cup packed fresh dill sprigs
osalt and white pepper to taste
100 grams blue cheese, pulled or crumbled into small nuggets (see Eric's options)
2 to 3 tsp snipped fresh chives
Place the first 4 ingredients in a pot set over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a gently simmer, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain that gentle simmer. Simmer until vegetables are quite tender, about 15 minutes.
Mix in the parsley and dill and then puree the soup in a food processor, or in the pot with an immersion (hand) blender. Return the soup to a simmer, and then season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls and then top each bowl with some of the cheese. Sprinkle each soup with chives and serve.
Eric options: If you don't care for blue cheese, top the soup milder tasting, soft goat cheese.
Curried Carrot Coconut Soup
The humble carrot gets a flavour boost in this soup accented with such things as curry paste, garlic, ginger and coconut milk.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Makes: four servings
1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced (3 to 4 medium carrots)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (14 oz./398 mL) coconut milk
2 Tbsp Madras curry paste (see note)
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
• salt to taste
1/3 cup thick yogurt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint or cilantro
4 small mint springs, for garnish
Place the first eight ingredients into a pot, set over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust the heat downward to maintain that simmer, and then cook the carrots until very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Purée the soup in a food processor, or in the pot with an immersion (hand) blender. Return the soup to a simmer and season with salt, if needed.
Place the yogurt in a small bowl and mix in the chopped mint (or cilantro). Ladle the soup into bowls. Place a spoonful of yogurt in the centre of each bowl, garnish each bowl with a mint (or cilantro) sprig, and then serve.
Note: Madras curry paste is sold in jars in the Asian foods aisle of many supermarkets. I used Patak's brand.
Eric Akis is the author of The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
