Vegetable Soup—Gypsy Style

 

If you were to ask any Michelin-starred French chef (A culinary genius of foie gras, pate, truffles, and the perfect chocolate soufflé) what they prepare for themselves and their families off the clock and barefoot in their own kitchens, they wouldn’t think twice: An omelette or a Purée! (Both dinner staples at our house, too!)

Purée is just a fancy French way of saying a vegetable soup that has been blended smooth to perfection! There is nothing that says comfort, simplicity, and boasts the most exquisite emerald color than my Gypsy Vegetable Soup! The beauty of the recipe is there is no fancy chopping because everything hits the blender at the end. You can happily garnish with ribbons of parmesan, cracked pepper, toasted almonds, my homemade rosemary olive croutons  and accompany with crisp baguette toasts melted with your favorite cheese. You’ll think you were in heaven! 

Ingredients:

2 leaks, cleaned of sand and roughly chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 onion, roughly chopped

4 ribs of celery, washed and roughly chopped

3 Idaho potatoes, washed and peeled

A Bouquet Garni (2 bay leaves, a couple sprigs of fresh thyme tied in twine for easy removal)

Rind off the block of Parmesan Reggiano

1  cup grated Parmessan

1 quart Chicken or vegetable stock, and if need be, an additional cup or two of distilled water

2-3 large zucchini or 1 package of baby zucchini (Trader Joe’s) washed, leave skin on, roughly chopped

1 cup of chopped Italian parsley

1 bag of fresh Spinach

2 bags of fresh English peas (Trader Joe’s)

In the family soup pot, sauté your mirepoix of onions, carrots, celery and leeks in olive oil, butter, or coconut oil. Add a tablespoon of Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Once the onions are translucent, add bouquet garni, Parmesan rind, potatoes, chicken stock, and simmer until your potatoes are soft.

Turn off the heat and fold in zucchini, spinach, peas, parsley, and parmesan cheese and let simmer for a couple of minutes. The beauty of the soup is that it retains its bright green color. Green vegetables should be al dente. Remove Parmesan rind and bouquet garnis.

Transfer soup to the blender and puree until perfectly smooth. Add salt and pepper, a swirl of olive oil or truffle oil and fresh ground pepper. Garnish with Parmessan, croutons, and toasted almonds. Split a baguette in half open-faced on a baking sheet, butter it, sprinkle your favorite cheese, a little Kosher salt & pepper, and toast until crisp.

Bon Apettit!

Farrell