I’m rounding out my Christmas dinner menu. I thought French onion soup would be nice, but I’m not up to making gluten-free French bread just to top off the soup! I am accustomed to making cream soups, but for this dinner, I’d like something a little lighter, and a little more gentile, but not too labor-intensive.
I’d also like a unicorn for Hanukkah (I don’t even know if they’re kosher!).
If you can help me with some ideas, or with finding a unicorn, please respond! What would you serve as the soup course for a beef Wellington and lobster tail main course?
Light, tasty, and elegant. That's what these soups are. They are what I call essence soups, and are clear broths with all of the flavor you could ever want, but are light, non-filling, and wet the appetite.
1. Mushroom Essence Soup:
1/2 lb. cremini, or white button mushrooms.
1 pkg. dried wild mushrooms
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 pints water
Kikoman Lite soy sauce
Place mushrooms in a suitable pot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and set aside to use in something else. Add the ginger, and a couple tbs. of soy sauce. Stir, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed. The flavor is rich mushroom, and will just make you humgry. What makes it elegant is that it is the first course of a superb meal.
2. Clam Essence Soup
1 can baby clams
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 onion, minced
2 cups water
Mince the clams. place 2 tbs. butter into a saucepan. Add the onions and sweat over medium heat until softened. Add the clams and saute for 5 minutes. Cover with the water and clam juice. Season lightly with white pepper. Serve as the appetizer.
3. Hot & Sour Soup
4 cups good chicken broth, fortified with collagen from chicken bones, and feet. Strain the broth after boiling the bones and collagen for an hour. Add 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, and 1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar. Top with mined chives.
5. Tomato-Bisque with Havarti Cubes:
8 oz. tomato pure
12 oz. diced tomato
1 rsp. sweet basil, dried
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz Havarti Cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Combine all ingredients except cheese cubes and simmer for 20 minutes. Ladle into serving bowls and add cheese cubes to each bowl. Serve piping hot with good, yeasty bread. this one is elegant just because it's so very good.
6. Cauliflower soup
1 head of fresh cauliflower
Old Bay Seasoning
1 stick salted butter
This soups is so silky smooth, it's almost hard to fathom. The mouthfeel is luxurious. Steam the cauliflower until tender. Place the cooked and hot cauliflower into a blender along with the butter and a little Old Bay. Blend on highest speed until silky smooth. Taste and correct the seasoning with a little black pepper.
Hope this helps.
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
