Provençal Garlic And Saffron Soup Recipes

CREAM OF GARLIC & SAFFRON SOUP

Steps:

• Soak the saffron in 2 tbsp hot water for 10 minutes. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the garlic (and its skin), onion, celery and bay leaf to the pan, stir to coat in the butter, then cook very gently, covered, for about 15-20 minutes. The garlic and onions should be very soft and tender but not at all browned, so keep the heat low.
• Uncover and add the sherry, raise the heat and bring to the boil then add the stock, saffron and its liquid, 1 tsp salt and a good grinding of fresh black pepper. Bring to the boil, stir in the rice and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the rice is just cooked. Fish the bay leaf out and discard.
• Liquidise the soup then sieve back into the pan (this gets rid of any bits of skin). Pour in the cream and reheat until hot. Adjust the seasoning adding a little lemon juice to taste if liked and thin with a splash of milk if too thick. Serve sprinkled with croûtons.

PROVENçAL GARLIC SOUP (AïGO BOULIDO)

Steps:

• Step 1 - Peel the garlic cloves. In a pot, bring 1 liter of water to a boil. Dump in the whole garlic cloves, sage and bay leaves. Simmer for about 15 minutes (lid off), until the garlic has softened.
• Step 2 - With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic cloves from the water and place them in a bowl. Mash them using the back of a fork until you reach a paste consistency. Mix in 1 tablespoon (15ml) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
• Return the garlic to the broth, and reduce for 15 more minutes. Pass the broth through a fine-meshed strainer and return it to the pot. Bring to a low simmer again.
• Step 3 - Place egg whites in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to loosen (if using whole eggs, whisk them until blended). Slowly pour the beaten egg whites (or eggs) into the simmering broth, whisking them with a fork as you pour. Do not stop whisking until the eggs are cooked and appear as stringy egg drops. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Turn off the heat.
• Step 4 - Divide the cheese evenly onto the 2 slices of bread and pass them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
• For serving, pour the Aïgo Boulido into each bowl and top with a slice of bread.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot, add the onions, and saute over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper and saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and saffron, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the haricots verts and spaghetti, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 more minutes.
• To serve, whisk 1/4 cup of the pistou into the hot soup, then season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of your chicken stock, you may need to add up to another tablespoon of salt. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and more pistou.
• Pistou:
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 24 large basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and puree. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil down the feed tube to make a paste. Pack into a container, pour a film of olive oil on top, and close the lid.
• Yield: 1 cup

PROVENCAL FISH SOUP WITH SAFFRON ROUILLE

Steps:

• Wash leeks .
• Cook leeks, fennel bulb, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil with herbes de Provence, bay leaves, cayenne, saffron, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in an 8-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• While vegetable mixture cooks, cut fish crosswise into 2- to 3-inch lengths.
• Add tomatoes, wine, and zest to vegetable mixture and bring to a boil, then boil 30 seconds. Add fish, water, and tomato paste and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until fish completely falls apart, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Arrange baguette slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and thoroughly dried, about 20 minutes.
• Force soup through food mill into a large heavy pot, discarding solids. Reheat soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Mound rouille on croutons and put 1 in bottom of each soup bowl. Pour soup around croutons.

GARLIC AND SAFFRON SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 4 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. add bread cubes and garlic and sauté until bread is light golden, about 4 minutes. Add wine, then broth and saffron; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes. Puree soup in blender. Return soup to saucepan. Season with salt.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange French bread slices on cookie sheet. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over croutons. Transfer cookie sheet to broiler; broil croutons until cheese melts. Place 2 croutons in each bowl. Bring soup to simmer. Ladle over croutons. Sprinkle with chives and a few saffron threads and serve.

PROVENçAL GARLIC SOUP WITH POACHED EGG

Steps:

• Peel and slice or roughly chop the garlic cloves. Warm the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage and let them sizzle a bit without browning, about 2 minutes. Season with about a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a brisk simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
• Ladle about an inch of soup into a skillet. Over medium heat, bring to a brisk simmer and, for each serving, poach an egg for about 3 minutes.
• For each serving, place a slice of toast in a soup bowl. With a slotted spoon lift a poached egg onto each piece. Ladle the soup over it. Sprinkle with a little parsley, scallion, or chive.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Place navy beans in a large bowl andadd water to cover. Let soak overnight inthe refrigerator.
• Fill a large bowl with cold water. Sliceleeks into 1/4-inch rounds; add to water.Let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes to rid them of dirt and sand. Lift leeks out ofwater and drain in a colander. Set aside.
• In a medium, heavy-bottomed stockpot,heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Addleeks and garlic; sauté until translucent,stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.Add parsley, rosemary, thyme, carrots,potatoes, and pepper. Cover and cook,stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes;lower heat if mixture browns.
• Drain beans, discarding soaking liquid.Add beans and stock to vegetables. Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low;cook until beans are tender, about 40minutes. About 10 minutes before thebeans are done, add salt.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees. SprinkleGruyere over bread. Place on a cookiesheet; toast until cheese is melted andgolden, about 10 minutes.
• . Add spinach to soup; cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Divide soup among bowls andserve immediately, garnished with chervil,if desired, and Gruyere toast.

PROVENçAL GREENS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the leeks. Cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the greens, and stir until they begin to wilt. Add 1 1/2 quarts water (6 cups) and salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the greens are very tender and the broth sweet. Add pepper, and taste and adjust seasoning.
• Beat the eggs in a bowl. Making sure that the soup is not boiling, whisk a ladle of it into the beaten eggs. Take the soup off the heat, and stir in the tempered eggs. Brush the garlic croutons with olive oil, and place one or two in each bowl. Ladle in the soup, sprinkle on some Parmesan if desired and serve.

PROVENçAL VEGETABLE SOUP WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Prepare the beans: Put the beans and 5 cups water in a saucepan over high heat. Add onion stuck with clove, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, salt and olive oil. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Leave beans to cool in their own broth. (May be cooked several hours or up to 1 day in advance.)
• Make the soup: Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring until softened and barely browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add potato and 2 cups water to soup pot. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Add cooked shell beans and bean broth and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.
• Meanwhile, working in batches in a separate pot, blanch Romano beans, wax beans and zucchini in salted water for 1 minute. Spread out to cool on a baking sheet.
• Make the pistou: Put basil, garlic and olive oil in a food processor and pulse to a rough paste. (Alternatively, pound basil and garlic in a stone mortar and stir in oil and cheese.) Stir in about 1/2 cup grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. (Makes about 3/4 cup.)
• To serve, add blanched vegetables to soup pot and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle into bowls and add about 2 tablespoons pistou to the center of each bowl. Pass extra grated cheese at the table.