|
January 2008 Recipe
Soupe Savoyarde
Winter White Vegetable Soup
photo by France Ruffenach
The
former kingdom of Savoy borders the Alps and includes Mont Blanc,
the highest mountain in Europe. Appropriately, this hearty soup
is creamy white and full of root vegetables, bolstered with
plenty of cheese. The local tomme de Savoie is an aged, slightly
piquant cow cheese, good for cooking as well as enjoying with
bread; Gruyère can take its place. Serve the soup as a vegetarian
main course, in generous bowls and accompanied by country bread.
Serves 6 to 8
- 3
turnips (about 12 ounces/330 grams total)
- 1
small celery root (about 12 ounces/330 grams)
- 2
large potatoes (about 1 pound/450 grams total), sliced
- 2
tablespoons/30 grams/1 ounce butter
- 1
large onion, chopped
- 4
to 5 leeks (about 1 1/2 pounds/675 grams total), white and green
parts, thinly sliced
-
Salt and pepper
- 2
cups/500 milliliters/16 fluid ounces water
- 2
1/2 cups/625 milliliters/1 pint milk
- 12
to 16 fried croûtes made with a slim baguette, sliced and fried
in 4 tablespoons/60 grams/2 ounces butter
- 5
ounces/140 grams tomme de Savoie or Gruyère, rind discarded and
then thinly sliced
-
Soup pot
Peel
the turnips, quarter and slice them also. Peel the celery root,
cut it in 8 wedges and slice them crosswise. Peel the potatoes,
cut them in small chunks, and keep them in cold water. All
vegetables should be cut about 1/2-inch/1.25-centimeters thick.
Melt
the butter in the soup pot and sauté the onion over medium heat
until soft but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the turnip,
celery root, and leeks with salt and pepper, and press a piece of
aluminum foil on top. Cover and sweat the vegetables over low heat
until they are just tender, about 20 minutes.
Drain
the potatoes and stir them into the soup with the measured water.
Cover the pot again and simmer until the vegetables start to get
tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Bring the milk to a boil in a separate
pan, add it to the soup and taste for seasoning. Cover and
continue simmering gently until the vegetables are very tender, 15
to 20 minutes. If the milk is boiled, it will curdle. Taste again
and adjust seasoning. The soup can be kept a day or two in the
refrigerator and the flavor will mellow.
To finish, fry
the croûtes. Reheat the soup if necessary. Put the croûtes in warm
soup bowls and top with the cheese slices. Pour over the soup and
serve at once so the cheese melts and the croûtes remain crisp.
Excerpted from THE COUNTRY COOKING OF FRANCE
by Anne Willan, Chronicle Books, 2007.
^ Top
|
