Alexandra Soup Recipes

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SOUP

Steps:

• I brought a handful of Jerusalem Artichokes home from the market, washed and roasted them (skin and all) in the oven with a simple drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. I cooked them all the way through as I would a baked potato. I tried roasting them a second time replacing the olive oil with hazelnut oil for even tastier results. Now, the vegetable risks to take over my produce life as I know it! I cut some into thin rounds, fried them and sprinkled them over an arugula salad. Delicious. I thought I had reached my peak with these preparations until I tasted this soup...The combination of roasting and stewing them yields a complex flavor.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place 1/2 the Jerusalem artichokes on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tray in the center of the oven and cook until they are completely yielding when pierced with the tip of a knife, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice the rest of the Jerusalem artichokes in 1/2-inch thick slices. Heat a medium pot and add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and the Jerusalem artichokes slices and stir to blend the ingredients. Check the seasoning. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes and add 4 cups water.
• Cook until the Jerusalem artichokes are completely tender, 25 to 30 minutes. If the liquid reduces too much during this cooking time, add the remaining 1 cup water. Remove the roasted ones from the oven, quarter them and add them directly to the soup mixture. Taste for seasoning.
• Remove the thyme from the pot. Add the cream. Puree the soup in small batches in the blender (or a hand blender) until smooth. For a more "rustic" texture, puree only 1/2 and leaving the other 1/2 "chunky." Serve with crusty sourdough or a seeded bread to bring out the naturally nutty flavor of the soup.
• Serving suggestion: Crusty sourdough bread or seeded bread.

CANTALOUPE SOUP

Steps:

• Place the cantaloupes on a flat surface and split them in half. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh in small increments. The goal is to tightly pack 3 cups of cantaloupe flesh.
• Place the cantaloupe in the blender and add the lemon juice and cider. Puree until smooth and taste for seasoning. Add the sugar, if needed. Use the water if more liquid is needed. Pour the soup into a medium bowl. Make an ice bath to chill the soup by combining some ice cubes and cold water in the bottom of a larger bowl. Put the soup in the ice bath and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Season the cucumber lightly with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, pour the soup into the chilled bowls and add some of the cucumber to each.

CHICKEN AND EGG SOUP WITH LITTLE VEAL MEATBALLS

Steps:

• This recipe has many personal touches: The combination of beef and chicken in the base of the recipe is something I got from my mother, studding the chicken with a couple of cloves to add a special flavor from making chicken stock at Guy Savoy in Paris and most of all, the meatballs from my parents. This soup is a meal unto itself and tastes even better leftover.
• 2 stalks celery with leaves, inner pieces from the bunch peeled of outer skin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Soup: Season the chicken with salt, to taste, and push the 2 cloves into 1 of the chicken thighs. Add it to a large stock pot, cover with about 4 quarts water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, season the beef bones with salt and brown them in a cast iron pan with the canola oil, searing them over medium heat. Add them to the pot with the chicken. To the pan that the bones were seared in, over medium heat, add the carrots, celery and onion and toss until they are coated in oil. Add the thyme and bay leaves to the stock pot along with the sauteed vegetables. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and skim the surface with a ladle. Discard any oil or "scum" that accumulates. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, not too much, and lower the heat to finish cooking the chicken slowly.
• Meatballs: Put the ground veal into a medium bowl. Add the salt, garlic, Parmesan, basil, egg and bread crumbs. Use your hands to mix to blend the ingredients. Roll a small meatball and cook a "tester" ladled into the soup, if desired. Taste and reseason the meat mixture, if needed. Roll the rest of the veal into small meatballs. They should be about the size of a small cherry tomato. (Chef's Note: Imperfectly rolled meatballs actually make this soup more homey and real.) Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
• After about 45 minutes at a gentle simmer, taste the chicken soup and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Use a large spoon and a pair of tongs to remove the chicken to a baking sheet or other flat surface and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Remove the beef bones and scoop out the marrow. Add it to the soup, if desired. Remove and discard the fresh thyme and bay leaves. Take the breast and thigh meat off the chicken, taking care to discard the bones and skin. Break the chicken into bite-size pieces, but not too small, and add them to the soup.
• Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and add the meatballs. Allow it to continue simmering for a couple of minutes so the meatballs have a chance to cook. Drizzle in the eggs and continue to mix as they cook. They should look like little threads in the soup. Stir in the spinach and taste for seasoning. Transfer the soup to serving bowls and serve sprinkled with the Parmesan.

ALEXANDRA SOUP

Steps:

• Scald the Barley.
• Wash the Lentils.
• Put Barley and Lentils into a pan.
• Add Water, Butter and Onion.
• Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Add tomato puree and cook for 20 minutes longer.
• Sieve soup.
• Reheat, season with salt and pepper and add milk if desired.