Onion Soup with Toasted Almonds
Q
uite a few Junes and
Julys had to pass before I finally figured out that the key to enjoying summer squash is to move it from main character to supporting role in a dish. The flavor of summer squash is too fragile to carry the load when the whole show rests on its shoulders. But in a light soup, with some complementary ingredients, summer squash shines. Finely diced, the squash adds color, texture, and a mild but distinctly summery flavor to chicken stock. Ginger and savory (or thyme) enhance its flavor rather than cover it up. Sweet onions, sherry, and almonds (a Spanish combination) contribute depth without overwhelming it. The broken angel hair pasta cooks quickly and adds substance before the freshness of the vegetables simmers away.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium sweet onions (Vidalia or Walla Walla, for example), thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry sherry
6 cups Chicken Stock (page 31) or high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 ounces angel hair pasta, broken into 2-inch lengths
2 pounds mixed summer squashes (zucchini, yellow summer, and pattypan are all good choices), scrubbed and chopped into ¼-inch dice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh savory or thyme
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden, about 20 minutes.
2. Add the sherry and reduce by half, only a minute or two. Add the chicken stock, pasta, and squash. Bring to a boil and cook until the pasta and squash are just cooked, about
3
minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the savory and ladle the soup into warm bowls. Sprinkle with the almonds and cheese and serve immediately.
Clam and White Bean Soup with Fennel, Anchovy, and Lemon
T
his satisfying soup is another
instance of a European classic crashing into the New England seacoast and ending up better for the experience. The dish began life as an Italian bean soup loaded with fennel. But I already loved steaming fresh Wellfleet clams with fennel, and it was only a matter of time before the clams and beans were introduced. The beans lend the soup a luscious quality that recalls a cream chowder, but in this case it’s without either cream or pork fat.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
½ cup dried medium white beans (navy or cannellini), picked over for stones and broken beans, and rinsed
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped into ½-inch dice
1 small carrot, chopped into ½-inch dice
½ celery stalk, chopped into ½-inch dice
1 fennel bulb, trimmed of stalks and tough outer layers, cut in half lengthwise, cored, and chopped into ½-inch dice
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 bay leaves
3 cups Fish Stock (page 33) or 2 cups Chicken Stock (page 31) plus 1 cup bottled clam juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2 anchovies, rinsed and finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
40 littleneck clams (3½ to 4 pounds), scrubbed
1 cup dry white wine
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1. Put the beans in a medium saucepan, cover with 2 inches of water, and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Let sit uncovered for 1 hour. Drain.
2. Heat ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and fennel, and cook until tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add two-thirds of the garlic, the fennel seeds and bay leaves, and cook 2 minutes.
3. Add the drained beans, stir well, and then add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 1 hour.
4. Add the fish stock and continue cooking until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes. The mixture should still be quite soupy by the time the beans are done; if not,
Q
uite a few Junes and
Julys had to pass before I finally figured out that the key to enjoying summer squash is to move it from main character to supporting role in a dish. The flavor of summer squash is too fragile to carry the load when the whole show rests on its shoulders. But in a light soup, with some complementary ingredients, summer squash shines. Finely diced, the squash adds color, texture, and a mild but distinctly summery flavor to chicken stock. Ginger and savory (or thyme) enhance its flavor rather than cover it up. Sweet onions, sherry, and almonds (a Spanish combination) contribute depth without overwhelming it. The broken angel hair pasta cooks quickly and adds substance before the freshness of the vegetables simmers away.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium sweet onions (Vidalia or Walla Walla, for example), thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup dry sherry
6 cups Chicken Stock (page 31) or high-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 ounces angel hair pasta, broken into 2-inch lengths
2 pounds mixed summer squashes (zucchini, yellow summer, and pattypan are all good choices), scrubbed and chopped into ¼-inch dice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh savory or thyme
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden, about 20 minutes.
2. Add the sherry and reduce by half, only a minute or two. Add the chicken stock, pasta, and squash. Bring to a boil and cook until the pasta and squash are just cooked, about
3
minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the savory and ladle the soup into warm bowls. Sprinkle with the almonds and cheese and serve immediately.
Clam and White Bean Soup with Fennel, Anchovy, and Lemon
T
his satisfying soup is another
instance of a European classic crashing into the New England seacoast and ending up better for the experience. The dish began life as an Italian bean soup loaded with fennel. But I already loved steaming fresh Wellfleet clams with fennel, and it was only a matter of time before the clams and beans were introduced. The beans lend the soup a luscious quality that recalls a cream chowder, but in this case it’s without either cream or pork fat.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
½ cup dried medium white beans (navy or cannellini), picked over for stones and broken beans, and rinsed
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped into ½-inch dice
1 small carrot, chopped into ½-inch dice
½ celery stalk, chopped into ½-inch dice
1 fennel bulb, trimmed of stalks and tough outer layers, cut in half lengthwise, cored, and chopped into ½-inch dice
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 bay leaves
3 cups Fish Stock (page 33) or 2 cups Chicken Stock (page 31) plus 1 cup bottled clam juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2 anchovies, rinsed and finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
40 littleneck clams (3½ to 4 pounds), scrubbed
1 cup dry white wine
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1. Put the beans in a medium saucepan, cover with 2 inches of water, and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Let sit uncovered for 1 hour. Drain.
2. Heat ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and fennel, and cook until tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add two-thirds of the garlic, the fennel seeds and bay leaves, and cook 2 minutes.
3. Add the drained beans, stir well, and then add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 1 hour.
4. Add the fish stock and continue cooking until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes. The mixture should still be quite soupy by the time the beans are done; if not,
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