Rhubarb Soup Recipes

JEAN-GEORGES'S MINIMALIST RHUBARB SOUP

Steps:

• String the rhubarb, then cut it into roughly 2-inch lengths.
• Place 4 cups water in a saucepan and add the sugar; turn the heat to medium high. Split the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out the seeds; add both seeds and pods to the pot. When the water boils, turn the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, then add the rhubarb. Cook another 5 minutes or so, until the rhubarb begins to fall apart.
• Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove the vanilla pods and break up the hunks of rhubarb with a whisk. Serve cold, with slices of strawberry and mango, any sorbet, a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, or on its own.

BEET, RHUBARB, AND GINGER SOUP

Steps:

• Break or cut each rhubarb stalk into 2 or 3 pieces, just so they fit in the saucepan, and set aside. Wash the beets, remove the stalks and leaves (see p.199 for what to do with them), and trim each beet, cutting away the barnacly bits; there's no need to peel. Roughly chop into ¾-inch chunks. Peel the onion and roughly chop it.
• Warm the oil in a decent-sized saucepan or Dutch oven that comes with a tightly fitting lid-I use one of 10 inches diameter-and cook the onion for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. It won't soften much in that time, but enough for now.
• Peel and roughly chop the garlic, and stir it into the pan of onions. Cook for about 2 minutes, then stir in the cumin and tumble in the rhubarb and beets. Add the water and salt, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once it's bubbling, turn the heat down, clamp on the lid, and let it all cook at a robust simmer until the beets are utterly, utterly soft. This always takes more time than you'd think: I'd reckon on 1½ hours, though it easily could take longer.
• With a stick blender (and if yours comes with a soup-blending attachment, so much the better), blitz until you have a smooth and velvety ruby soup.
• If the skin's tough, peel the ginger with the tip of a teaspoon, then coarsely grate it onto a plate. Moving fast, get out a piece of paper towel and spoon half the grated ginger into the center, then bring together the edges of the paper and twist. Holding this little swag bag over the soup, press on it to squeeze out the intense juice. Now get another square of paper towel, and do the same with the remaining half of grated ginger. Taste for seasoning, ladle out into waiting bowls, and drizzle over each a little horseradish cream or green tahini sauce as you wish.

RHUBARB SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the rhubarb, 1 cup water, sugar and cinnamon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth; stir into rhubarb mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened., Remove from the heat and discard cinnamon stick. Stir in grape juice. Serve warm or cover and refrigerate overnight. Garnish with almonds if desired.

RHUBARB-ORANGE SOUP

Steps:

• Zest orange and mince zest; juice the orange. Remove string from rhubarb, then cut rhubarb into roughly 2-inch lengths.
• Combine rhubarb, sugar, 4 cups water, orange juice and half the zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Wrap and refrigerate remaining zest. Turn heat to medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until rhubarb begins to fall apart.
• Chill; if you're in a hurry, pour mixture into a large bowl and set that bowl in an even larger bowl filled with ice water. When cool, whisk briefly to break up rhubarb, adding reserved zest at same time. Serve cold, with sour cream or any of the alternatives listed.

RHUBARB SOUP

Steps:

• Place the rhubarb, water and sugar in a large pot. Stir and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft.
• Add the cinnamon, lemon slices and red wine and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and strain the soup through a sieve. Allow the soup to come to room temperature, cover and refrigerate.
• Serve the soup very cold in bowls with a dollop of creme fraiche and julienned rhubarb.

CHILLED RHUBARB SOUP

Steps:

• Stir together rhubarb and granulated sugar; set aside. Tie together lemongrass stalk and mint with kitchen twine to form a bundle; set aside.
• Bring wine to a boil in a medium saucepan; cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk together confectioners' sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in 2 tablespoons water. Whisking reduced wine, add cornstarch mixture. Stir in rhubarb mixture.
• Bring wine mixture to a boil. Add lemongrass-mint bundle. Remove from heat; let cool completely. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour (or overnight).
• Discard bundle. Divide soup among 4 chilled bowls. Dip 2 tablespoons in hot water, and use them to form 4 scoops of ice milk. Place 1 scoop in each bowl.