The flavors in this soup sing the praises of autumn, but upon first sip, you’ll notice that it’s as light as air and almost reminiscent of spring. It’s the kind of ethereal taste that makes you feel as if the chef slaved for hours and hours perfectly balancing flavors and textures.
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This dish, tortilla soup’s not so distant cousin, was supposedly created in the region of Jalisco, the Western state that also gave us mariachi music and tequila. It starts with the same simple stock of chicken and tomatoes, but amps up the flavor with the smoky punch of chipotle pepper.
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The soup is comprised of savory stock studded with slivers of bamboo shoots, scallions and tofu. An essential for me, and what separates the real deal from the imposters, is the use of wood ear mushrooms.
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In Chinese, wonton means “swallowing a cloud” – easily the perfect descriptor for a soup that is both complex and delicate at the same time.Given that leftover dumpling filling does not tend to keep very well (overnight at best, and never defrosted from frozen), I have found a quick and easy solution with wontons.
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One of the loveliest parts of this recipe is that it’s flexible. Go completely DIY and make your own stock, make fresh wontons and roast the pork yourself. Or play it lazy and purchase frozen wontons or gyoza, use some leftover roast pork from chinese takeout and infuse chicken stock with ginger and garlic. It should be how you like it whenever you need it. Just like your crack addiction.
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The lovely leek is a tricky little bugger. While its cousin, the onion, smells fragrant and marvelous immediately upon entering the pan filled with butter or olive oil, the leek can be downright funky. But the patient are always rewarded for their efforts, and the leeks become luscious and silken if you let them hang out and do their thing. Crown this glory with white truffle oil and breadcrumbs toasted with a little butter and you are in for a real treat.
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No surprise that one of my favorite dishes to prepare, soup, became one of my most loved pressure cooker experiments. This soup was no exception – wild rice usually taking a half an hour to cook is simmered for a mere 10 minutes. Best of all, because of the lack of evaporation, the stock retains all of the concentrated liquid without steaming up your house.
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There are much fancier versions than this one, but I love this recipe because it’s a weekday charmer. Black kale (cavolo nero or dinosaur kale) is the star of the show, but can be replaced by any kale or bitter greens you can find. Canned beans and pantry chicken stock speed along the process, and by dicing everything in the food processor saves a hell of a lot of time. It doesn’t get any better than that.
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Though mired in mystery, I am dedicated to the joys of chickarina. Who doesn’t love a hearty bowl of chicken soup? Or a meatball? Or the two together in a melange of flavors? Bring it.
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Like Italian Wedding Soup, Caldo Verde is a celebration of meat, greens and broth, with the star carb as tender, simmered potatoes. This soup is as hearty as it is easy to make, and a great use of winter kale when in season, cheap and plentiful.
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Although Italian Wedding Soup, a popular dish in this country, hints at origins surrounding Tuscan weddings, the actual name of the soup is minestra mariata or “married soup” – a reference to the melange of greens, broth, meat and cheese. An apropos name, given that all of the flavors in this soup blend together into something akin to a warm hug.
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I know what you’re thinking, folks, “Really, Angela? Vegetarian chili?” But you must, must, must try this, die hard meat eater or no. My father, who I am sure is 99% dinosaur (and I’m talking the T-Rex variety) loves this chili like no other, and he doesn’t give out the compliments for non-meat dishes lightly.
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Copyright © Angela Gunder, 2012.
