Hot and Sour Soup

Copyright: Cook's Illustrated, January, 2006

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer
7 ounces extra-firm tofu , drained
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons cornstarch , plus an additional 1 1/2 teaspoons
1 boneless, center-cut, pork loin chop (1/2 inch thick, about 6 ounces), trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch by 1/8-inch matchsticks
3 tablespoons cold water , plus 1 additional teaspoon
1 large egg
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup bamboo shoots (from one 5-ounce can), sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms , stems removed, caps sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 1 cup)
5 tablespoons black Chinese vinegar or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (see note above)
2 teaspoons chili oil (see note above)
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 medium scallions , sliced thin

1. Place tofu in pie plate and set heavy plate on top. Weight with 2 heavy cans; let stand at least 15 minutes (tofu should release about 1/2 cup liquid). Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in medium bowl; toss pork with marinade and set aside for at least 10 minutes (but no more than 30 minutes).

2. Combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water in small bowl and mix thoroughly; set aside, leaving spoon in bowl. Mix remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with remaining 1 teaspoon water in small bowl; add egg and beat with fork until combined. Set aside.

3. Bring broth to boil in large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; add bamboo shoots and mushrooms and simmer until mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. While broth simmers, dice tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. Add tofu and pork, including marinade, to soup, stirring to separate any pieces of pork that stick together. Continue to simmer until pork is no longer pink, about 2 minutes.

4. Stir cornstarch mixture to recombine. Add to soup and increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens and turns translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, chili oil, pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce; turn off heat.

5. Without stirring soup, use soupspoon to slowly drizzle very thin streams of egg mixture into pot in circular motion. Let soup sit 1 minute, then return saucepan to medium-high heat. Bring soup to gentle boil, then immediately remove from heat. Gently stir soup once to evenly distribute egg; ladle into bowls and top with scallions.

STEP BY STEP: Getting the Wisped Egg Just Right

1. Turn off heat so surface of soup is calm, then use spoon to drizzle egg onto surface in thin streams.

2. Let sit for 1 minute. Turn heat back on and stir gently to finish cooking egg and break into ribbons.

Hearty Garlic-Potato Soup

Copyright Cook's Illustrated, March/April 2007

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium leek , white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and chopped small (about 1 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 heads garlic , rinsed, papery skins removed and top third of heads cut off and discarded
6 - 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth (start with 6 cups and use extra cup to thin soup, if needed)
2 bay leaves
Table salt
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 pound Red Bliss potatoes (unpeeled), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Garlic Chips
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 medium cloves garlic , sliced thin lengthwise
Table salt

1. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add leeks and cook until soft (do not brown), 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add garlic heads, broth, bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; partially cover pot and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Add potatoes and continue to simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Discard bay leaves. Remove garlic heads; using tongs or paper towels, squeeze garlic heads at root end until cloves slip out of their skins. Using fork, mash garlic to smooth paste in bowl.

3. Stir cream, thyme, and half of mashed garlic into soup; heat soup until hot, about 2 minutes. Taste soup; add remaining garlic paste if desired. Using immersion blender, process soup until creamy, with some potato chunks remaining. Alternatively, transfer 1 1/2 cups potatoes and 1 cup broth to blender or food processor and process until smooth. (Process more potatoes for thicker consistency.) Return puree to pot and stir to combine, adjusting consistency with more broth if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and serve, sprinkling each portion with chives and garlic chips.

For Garlic Chips

Heat oil and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, turning frequently, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to plate lined with paper towels; discard oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Wonton Soup

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup shredded coleslaw mix
1 cup shredded leftover pork (from Balsamic Roasted Pork Tenderloin)
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
24 wonton wrappers (often sold in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle)
1/4 cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)

Place the broth in a large saucepan, set over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the slaw mix and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the pork and soy sauce and cook, stirring, until the cabbage wilts, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Arrange the wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the filling onto the center of each wrapper. Wet your fingers with water and run a wet finger along the outer edge of the wrapper. Pull up the edges of the wrapper and pinch together, making a beggar's purse-shaped wonton. When you run out of filling, place the stuffed wontons in the simmering broth and simmer until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the scallions, and serve.

My notes:

I minced a small onion and 3 cloves of garlic and sauteed them before adding the cabbage. A little grated ginger would be good, too.

The pork mixture could easily become a filling for lettuce wraps, a topping for rice, or the addition to some type of noodle or noodle soup.

This soup would also work by cutting the wonton skins into ribbons, and adding them, with the loose pork mixture, directly into the broth.

The wontons can be made ahead and frozen; the do not need to be defrosted before making the soup.

Lemon Lentil Soup with Spinach

from Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley

1 1/2 cups red or brown lentils, rinsed (I used red)

1 cup canned chopped tomatoes, with their juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I used one tablespoon)

8 garlic cloves, peeled (I chopped, then mashed into a paste with the salt)

2 teaspoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt

4 slices peeled fresh ginger, each about the size of a quarter (or 1 teaspoon grated)

1 sprig fresh rosemary (or 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary)

1 bay leaf

1 10-ounce bag washed baby spinach (I used 5 ounces or less, and chopped before adding to pot)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Freshly milled black pepper

(I did this all on the stove top. The lentils cooked within 15-20 minutes, so using a pressure cooker doesn't really save that much time. I'll bet it could be done pretty well in a crockpot too since there is no sauteeing.)

In a pressure cooker over high heat, combine 4-5 cups of water with the lentils, tomatoes, oil, garlic, and salt. Wrap the ginger, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth, tie it closed with kitchen string, and add this bouquet garni to the pot. (Don't skip this step!)

Lock the lid in place and bring to full pressure. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.Transfer the pressure cooker to the sink and run cold water over it to release the pressure. Remove the lid and discard the bouquet garni.

Return the pot to medium heat. Add the spinach and simmer until wilted. Stir in the lemon juice. Crush the garlic against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon and stir so that all the garlic completely melts into the soup. Add pepper and serve immediately.

Pasta e Fagioli

Copyright: Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian


1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups hard vegetables, like potatoes, winter squash, parsnips, or turnips, peeled if necessary and cut into smaller than 1/2-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup cored, peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato (canned is fine; include the juice)
1 to 1 1/2 cups soft vegetables, like green beans, cooked dried beans, zucchini or summer squash, or dark, leafy greens like kale or collards, peeled if necessary and cut into smaller than 1/2-inch dice
2 cups cooked beans (kidney, white, borlotti, chickpeas, canellini, or a mixture)
1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves
1 cup tubetti or other small pasta, or larger pasta broken into small pieces
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or more to taste)


1. Put 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large, deep saucepan or casserole over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.


2. Add the hard vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for a minute or two, then add the stock and the tomato; bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Cook, stirring every now and then, until the vegetables are fairly soft and the tomatoes broken up, about 15 minutes. (You may prepare the soup in advance up to this point. Cover, refrigerate for up to 2 days, and reheat before proceeding.)


3. Add the soft vegetables, the parsley, the beans, and the pasta, and adjust the heat once again so the mixture simmers. Cook until all the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, add the remaining olive oil and one teaspoon (or more, to taste) of minced garlic, and serve, passing the cheese at the table if you like.


This recipe was discussed here.

Chickpea Noodle Soup

Copyright: Veganomicon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 cup peeled, thinly sliced carrots (or chopped baby carrots)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed in your fingers

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons mirin (optional)

1/3 cup brown rice miso

6 cups water or vegetable stock

2 cups cooked dried chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed

6 ounces soba noodles (or regular pasta if soup will be refrigerated overnight)

Preheat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and carrots in the oil for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and herbs, and saute for another 5 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the mirin (or just a splash of water). Add the 6 cups of water and the chickpeas. Cover and bring to a boil.

Once the broth is boiling, break the soba noodles into thirds and throw them in. Lower the heat to medium so that the soup is at a low boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the miso and stir until it's incorporated. Taste and adjust the salt, and add a little extra miso if you would like a stronger, saltier flavor.

This recipe was discussed here.