Wilted Greens Soup With Crème Fraîche Recipes

GREAT GREEN BLENDER SOUP AND CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Drain the spinach through a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently to remove most of the water and transfer it along with the peas to a blender.
• Meanwhile, pour the vegetable broth into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the green onions, season with salt and pepper and cook just until bright green and starting to lightly color, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic, allowing the residual heat from the pan to lightly cook the garlic for about 30 seconds. Transfer to the blender. Add the herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice and 3 cups of the hot broth.
• Place the lid on the blender, remove the vent cap, cover with a kitchen towel and blend on high until smooth. Add in the Pecorino cheese, if using. Season to taste with more salt, pepper and lemon juice. For a thinner soup, add more stock. Blend to combine.
• Serve as is topped with sour cream, yogurt or crème fraîche and Pecorino cheese, if using. This soup can also be served chilled or heated to a higher temperature (though additional heating might tone down the bright green color).
• Combine the cream and buttermilk in a glass jar and cover with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel affixed with a rubber band. Leave the mixture out on the counter at room temperature, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours, until thick. Stir and cover with an airtight lid and transfer to the fridge until ready to use for up to 10 days. Feel free to up the flavor by stirring in some lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper or finely chopped herbs just before serving.

WILTED GREENS SOUP WITH CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium. Cook onion and thyme, stirring often, until onion is translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. Add potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until potato surfaces look chalky, about 2 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil, and cook until potato is tender, 8-10 minutes. Stir in greens, peas, and sugar, remove from heat, and let sit 10 minutes to allow greens to soften. Purée soup in a blender until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
• Serve soup topped with crème fraîche and herbs.

WILTED GREENS

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with cold water. Trim and discard the greens tough stems, tear the leaves into pieces and wash them in the water. (If the greens are very dirty wash them in several changes of water.) Lift the greens from the water, and put them in a colander to drain. Set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned and its fat has rendered, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the scallions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the greens in batches, starting with the tougher greens, like kale, and ending with the more tender ones, like chard, stirring each batch as they wilt, before adding more. Add 1/2 cup water and cook, covered, stirring once or twice, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

BRIGHT GREEN LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Trim leeks of outer layer and stems. Chop white and tender green parts into 1/2-inch chunks (discard tough gray-green parts). Soak leeks in a large bowl of lukewarm water, swishing to dislodge sand. Drain and soak again, then lift leeks from water, leaving any sediment behind.
• Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and season well with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until leeks are wilted, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add garlic, cayenne and rice and cook for 1 minute. Add hot broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer until rice is very soft, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely before proceeding.
• Using a blender, purée the raw spinach with the cooled soup mixture. Strain the soup through a fine-meshed sieve, discarding any fibrous solids. Adjust seasoning and add a little grated nutmeg. Thin soup with broth or water if necessary.
• Heat soup through just before serving, to preserve the bright green color. Garnish each serving with a tablespoon of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of chives and tarragon.