When I think soup and salad, or soup and sandwich, for dinner, I typically think "EASY" night. However, when it is up to Derek to make the soup, it's not easy. He researched his handy "Ad Hoc at Home" to find a perfect "Katie" soup - or so he said (and I agree). Lots of vegetables with a rich and tasty broth - heightened by the sweet smokiness of bacon.
What else was interesting about this recipe is that the vegetables are all cooked separately. In a typical soup, I simply throw in vegetables and let them cook together. Not with this recipe! Nope! Each vegetable is carefully cooked, some even pre-flavored. For example, the carrots are cooked in water spiked with honey to heighten their natural sweetness. The potatoes are cooked with herbs - bay leaf and thyme or rosemary - to bring out their earthiness. The rest are blanched to perfection rather than cooked to death.
This recipe takes time, but it's worth it. Just plan ahead.
Spring Vegetable Garbure from Ad Hoc at Home
This version is less chunky, more brothy than Thomas Keller's creation. You can make it according to your own preferences!
Ingredients:
3 tbs canola oil
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 cups of coarsely chopped leaks
2 cups of coarsely chopped onions
salt and pepper
3 slices bacon
parchment paper
3 yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 red potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 sachet with a bay leaf and thyme
2 cups of oblique cut carrots
1 tablespoon honey
8 ounces of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 in. pieces on the diagonal (1 cup total)
8 cups of chicken stock
1 cup sliced green beans
1 cup of peas
1 small head of Savoy cabbage (we cut it into bite sized pieces, TK does bigger)
2 cups of cooked cannelini beans
Red wine vinegar
flat leaf parsley
EVOO
smoked sea salt (optional, our addition)
Directions:
Sweat the thinly sliced carrots, onions and leaks in a large pot. Cover the vegetables with bacon slices and cook for 30-35 minutes. Remove bacon and discard.
Add chicken stock and increase heat to medium-high. Simmer for 20 minutes and strain, discarding the vegetables.
Cover the potatoes in cold water and add the first sachet of bay leaf and thyme, and two teaspoons of salt. Boil for about 10 minutes. When they are done, put them out on a cookie sheet to cool.
Put oblique cut carrots, honey, second sachet, and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until carrots are tender but still slightly resistant to the tooth.
Bring large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the vegetables separately:
- Green Beans: 2 minutes
- Peas: 90 seconds
- Asparagus: 1 minute
- Cabbage: until tender
After each batch, place in ice bath and drain.
Bring broth to a simmer. Add carrots, potatoes and beans. Stir in a teaspoon of vinegar (or to taste), salt and pepper (also to taste). Bring to a simmer and add blanched vegetables and return to simmer. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley and drizzle with EVOO. (We also sprinkled a little smoked sea salt on top as well - nice addition).
The broth was what made this recipe. The hint of bacon was incredible. Derek was right - along with a crusty baguette - it was a perfect Katie meal. Followed by frozen yogurt - perfection.
What else was interesting about this recipe is that the vegetables are all cooked separately. In a typical soup, I simply throw in vegetables and let them cook together. Not with this recipe! Nope! Each vegetable is carefully cooked, some even pre-flavored. For example, the carrots are cooked in water spiked with honey to heighten their natural sweetness. The potatoes are cooked with herbs - bay leaf and thyme or rosemary - to bring out their earthiness. The rest are blanched to perfection rather than cooked to death.
This recipe takes time, but it's worth it. Just plan ahead.
Spring Vegetable Garbure from Ad Hoc at Home
This version is less chunky, more brothy than Thomas Keller's creation. You can make it according to your own preferences!
Ingredients:
3 tbs canola oil
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 cups of coarsely chopped leaks
2 cups of coarsely chopped onions
salt and pepper
3 slices bacon
parchment paper
3 yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 red potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 sachet with a bay leaf and thyme
2 cups of oblique cut carrots
1 tablespoon honey
8 ounces of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 in. pieces on the diagonal (1 cup total)
8 cups of chicken stock
1 cup sliced green beans
1 cup of peas
1 small head of Savoy cabbage (we cut it into bite sized pieces, TK does bigger)
2 cups of cooked cannelini beans
Red wine vinegar
flat leaf parsley
EVOO
smoked sea salt (optional, our addition)
Directions:
Sweat the thinly sliced carrots, onions and leaks in a large pot. Cover the vegetables with bacon slices and cook for 30-35 minutes. Remove bacon and discard.
Add chicken stock and increase heat to medium-high. Simmer for 20 minutes and strain, discarding the vegetables.
Cover the potatoes in cold water and add the first sachet of bay leaf and thyme, and two teaspoons of salt. Boil for about 10 minutes. When they are done, put them out on a cookie sheet to cool.
Put oblique cut carrots, honey, second sachet, and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until carrots are tender but still slightly resistant to the tooth.
Bring large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the vegetables separately:
- Green Beans: 2 minutes
- Peas: 90 seconds
- Asparagus: 1 minute
- Cabbage: until tender
After each batch, place in ice bath and drain.
Bring broth to a simmer. Add carrots, potatoes and beans. Stir in a teaspoon of vinegar (or to taste), salt and pepper (also to taste). Bring to a simmer and add blanched vegetables and return to simmer. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley and drizzle with EVOO. (We also sprinkled a little smoked sea salt on top as well - nice addition).
The broth was what made this recipe. The hint of bacon was incredible. Derek was right - along with a crusty baguette - it was a perfect Katie meal. Followed by frozen yogurt - perfection.
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