Creamy But Cream-less Vegetable Soup(s)
Here are the “no recipe” guidelines for any pureed vegetable soup:
- Choose your aromatics. You can use onions, shallots, or leeks — or some combination of the three. I love the subtle flavor that leeks add, so try to use them if you can. A couple cloves of fresh garlic are always welcome. A few celery stalks or some fennel are good, and you might want a carrot or two to enhance the flavor of whatever your main vegetable is. That said, avoid carrots if the soup is going to be a pale color.
- Don’t worry about the cuts of your vegetables too much since you’ll be pureeing it at the end. Garlic cloves can go in whole. More important is that veggies are cut into pieces that will cook in roughly the same amount of time.
- You’ll sweat the aromatics until they are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. I do this with the pot covered, to create more steam and prevent burning, opening the lid to stir occasionally. They shouldn’t brown.
- Choose your main vegetable(s). You can highlight a single vegetable or go for a mix of compatible ones, which will add depth. I usually add a potato to thicken the soup, unless I’m using winter squash, which is starchy enough on its own to do the job. Alternatively, you could add a handful of chickpeas, which will also add thickness and body.
- Once the aromatics have softened, add the vegetables and then the liquid. I use water and a spoonful or two of Better than Bouillon. Be careful here not to add too much liquid or the soup will be too thin. You can always thin it out at the end. Add just enough liquid for the vegetables to be poking out of the top. Don’t cover them completely.
- Add any herbs you want to use, or a Parmesan rind to add flavor.
- Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft. Turn off the heat and stir occasionally to cool a bit, about 15 minutes.
- Time to blend the soup. You can use an immersion blender right in the pot (remove any herb stems first). Make sure to keep the immersion blender immersed, or it will splash. This is a very convenient tool, and I use it often, but I do really like how smooth and velvety the soup gets when you use a high-speed blender like a Vitamix.
- If using a blender, never fill it more than half full. Tilt the cap on the lid away from you and slightly open to let steam escape, and start on the lowest speed, gradually increasing to high speed until silky smooth.
- Adjust the seasonings as needed. If serving right away, return to the pot and add water or stock (or milk or cream) to thin if needed. Reheat to desired serving temperature.
- Serve it plain and simple or add any garnishes that you want. A dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche is nice, a drizzle of good olive oil, fresh soft herbs, shavings of Parmesan, something crunchy like nuts, seeds, or dukkah. Whatever you want!
Vegetables that are delicious in pureed soups:
- Broccoli
- Winter squash
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac (celery root)
- Mushrooms
- Celery
- Carrot
- Fennel
- Zucchini
- Kale
- Corn
