The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (19 page)

2 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only

8 heads Belgian endive, plus more for garnish

2 medium russet potatoes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup dry white wine

5 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup heavy cream

1½ teaspoons coarse salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1.
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse well under cold running water to remove any grit. Thinly slice crosswise; set aside.

2.
Cut the endives in half lengthwise, and cut out the cores. Thinly slice crosswise; set aside.

3.
Peel the potatoes, and cut into ½-inch pieces. Set aside in a bowl of cold water.

4.
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks; cook until they start to soften, about 3 minutes. Drain the potatoes well; add to the pot along with the sliced endive. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes; do not let brown.

5.
Add the wine and stock, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

6.
Transfer the soup in batches to a blender (fill no more than halfway), or pass it through a food mill. Return the soup to a clean saucepan; stir in the cream. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat. Season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Garnish with the endive.

cioppino

SERVES 6

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 dried bay leaf

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups dry white wine

2 cups fish stock

½ cup clam juice

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, with juice

1 15-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained, chopped

6 cherrystone clams, scrubbed

6 mussels, scrubbed, debearded

6 sea scallops, muscles removed

8 ounces cod or other white fish, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 ounces cleaned squid, bodies cut into rings

6 large shrimp, peeled, tails intact, deveined

1.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute. Add the wine, stock, clam juice, and tomatoes. Reduce heat; simmer gently 30 minutes. (You can make the soup to this point up to 2 days ahead, and chill. Reheat; add seafood.)

2.
Add the clams; cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the mussels; cook, covered, checking often and using tongs to transfer open clams and mussels to a bowl. Discard any that do not open. Add the scallops, cod, squid, and shrimp to the pan; simmer gently until the seafood is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in the cooked clams and mussels; ladle into bowls, and serve.

chilled asian chicken soup

MAKES 1 QUART

You can use the mushroom broth from this recipe in other soups and dishes as well; it is particularly good in risottos. For a heartier version, add cooked and drained soba or udon noodles, or serve brown rice on the side. This soup can be prepared through step 2 up to 3 days in advance; for best results, store the broth separately from all other items. Proceed with step 3 the day the soup will be served.

6 cups water

½ cup mixed dried mushrooms, such as porcini, shiitake, oyster, or wood ear

1 whole chicken breast (about 10 ounces)

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon roughly chopped jalapeño pepper

1½ tablespoons roughly chopped fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon sugar

½ cup firm tofu, cut into ¼-inch dice

Juice of 1 lime (about 3 tablespoons)

1½ tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint

1½ tablespoons roughly chopped fresh basil

1½ tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, and add the mushrooms; let sit until softened, at least 30 minutes. Strain the mushrooms through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove any sandy grit; discard the mushrooms.

2.
Return the mushroom broth to a clean medium saucepan, and add the chicken, carrot, jalapeño, ginger, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring just to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer over medium heat 20 minutes, or until the broth is reduced to about 4 cups. Strain through a fine sieve back into the saucepan, reserving the broth and discarding everything but the chicken.

3.
Remove the chicken meat from the bones, and shred the meat. Return the chicken meat to the mushroom broth; add the sugar, tofu, lime juice, herbs, and soy sauce, and stir to combine. Transfer to a covered container; refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 149 CALORIES, 6 G FAT, 32 MG CHOLESTEROL, 11 G CARBOHYDRATE, 188 MG SODIUM, 14 G PROTEIN, 1 G FIBER

cold curried buttermilk soup with corn and poblano chile

MAKES 1 QUART

This soup can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator; stir it again before serving, as it may separate while it sits. Poblano chiles vary in heat from mild to hot; you may need more or less to taste. If you like, garnish each serving with more cooked corn.

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

½ yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

½ poblano chile, seeded and finely chopped (about ½ cup)

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¹
/
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teaspoon ground turmeric

2¼ cups corn kernels (about 4 ears)

3 cups nonfat buttermilk

¾ teaspoon coarse salt

1.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano chile, and garlic; sauté until the onion is soft and translucent and the chile and garlic are tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

2.
Add the coriander, cumin, and turmeric, and cook until they are toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the corn, and sauté until the kernels are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.

3.
Transfer 1½ cups of the corn mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and add the buttermilk and salt; puree until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a large bowl or plastic storage container; stir in the remaining corn mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator until the soup is well chilled, at least 2 to 3 hours before serving.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 177 CALORIES, 4 G FAT, 7 MG CHOLESTEROL, 27 G CARBOHYDRATE, 643 MG SODIUM, 9 G PROTEIN, 5 G FIBER

cucumber coconut soup

SERVES 6

2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

2 pounds cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 13½-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

¼ cup fresh lime juice

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1.
Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the chicken; return to a simmer, and reduce heat. Cook, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, reserving the stock, and let cool.

2.
Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion; cook until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño, and cucumbers; cook 1 minute more. Add the reserved chicken stock, and bring to a simmer; cook until the cucumbers are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.

3.
Working in batches, transfer the cucumber mixture to a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Add the coconut milk and cilantro to the last batch, pureeing until cilantro is very finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until completely cool. Stir in the lime juice, and season with salt and pepper.

4.
To serve, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Ladle the soup into bowls; top each with chicken, and garnish with some cilantro leaves.

creamy caramelized onion soup

MAKES 8 CUPS; SERVES 6 TO 8

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1¼ pounds leeks (3 to 4), white and pale-green parts only, rinsed well and coarsely chopped

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

7 large shallots (about 14 ounces), thinly sliced

2 large Vidalia onions (about 20 ounces each), cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

¾ cup dry white vermouth

4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

Coarse salt

1 cup heavy cream

1.
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic, shallots, and half of the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are deep golden brown, about 25 minutes.

2.
Add the vermouth, stock, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Let cool. Puree the onion mixture in batches in a blender until smooth, about 3 minutes per batch. Set aside.

3.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the remaining onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very soft and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cover, and set aside.

4.
Return the onion puree to the saucepan. Stir in the cream. Reheat over medium heat, stirring, until heated through but not boiling. Season with salt, if desired. Serve, topped with caramelized onions.

chilled yogurt-spinach soup with shrimp

MAKES 5 CUPS; SERVES 4

1½ cucumbers (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 7-ounce containers plain low-fat (2 percent) Greek yogurt

1¾ cups low-sodium store-bought chicken broth

2 scallions, white and pale-green parts cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces, dark-green parts julienned

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 ounces baby spinach

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 pound rock shrimp, rinsed well

1.
Stir together the cucumbers, half the yogurt, ¾ cup of the broth, the pieces of scallions, and 1 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic; cook until just golden, about 1 minute. Add the spinach; cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir into the yogurt mixture.

2.
Working in batches, puree the mixture in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl, and stir in the remaining yogurt, the onion, and the lemon juice. Refrigerate, covered, until cold, about 1 hour.

3.
Meanwhile, put the remaining 1 cup broth, ¾ cup water, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; season with pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the shrimp; cook until pink and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain. Refrigerate the shrimp, covered, until cold, about 1 hour. Divide the soup and shrimp among 4 bowls. Garnish with julienned scallions.

zucchini-mint soup

SERVES 4

You can also serve this soup cold or at room temperature. Puree it in batches to prevent overflow (particularly because you do so while it’s hot), if needed. You can stir in a small amount of water to thin the soup after pureeing it, if you like.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium white onion, finely chopped (about 1¼ cups)

1 small garlic clove, crushed with the flat side of a large knife

Coarse salt

3 medium zucchini (about 1½ pounds), thinly sliced crosswise

1¼ cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

1.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until the skins turn bright green, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, until the zucchini is tender, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2.
Puree the zucchini mixture in a food processor. Return to the pan. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the mint. Season with salt, if desired. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon mint. Serve immediately. Keep warm on stove over medium-low heat, if necessary.