Corn And Zucchini Soup Lidia Recipes

ZUCCHINI CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large heavy-duty bottom stockpot or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat.
• Add chopped bacon and cook until bacon renders its fat and begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add onion, garlic, and thyme; cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring couple times, about 5 minutes.
• Add potatoes and broth.
• Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat back to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the potatoes are halfway cooked.
• Add zucchini and corn and heavy cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for additional 8-12 minutes or until the vegetables are completely tender.
• Remove half of the chowder and puree the remaining chowder with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir the remaining mixture back into the pot.
• Salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley, jalapeno and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, optional.

ZUCCHINI AND POTATO MINESTRA (LIDIA BASTIANICH)

Steps:

• Pour 1 cup hot stock over the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl; let stand until mushrooms are softened, about 20 minutes.
• Drain the porcini, straining the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or a sieve lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth.
• Pour the strained soaking liquid into the remaining stock.
• Rinse the soaked mushrooms thoroughly to remove any sand/grit.
• Drain the mushrooms well and chop them fine.
• Heat the olive oil in a deep, heavy 4-5 quart pot over medium heat.
• Add in the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to stick and are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• If necessary, adjust the heat level to prevent the bits of potato that stick from getting too dark.
• Stir in the leeks and carrots; season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring, until the leeks are softened, about 2-3 minutes.
• Pour in the hot stock and bay leaves; bring to a boil, scraping up the bits of potato that stick to the pot.
• Adjust the level of heat to a simmer and season the soup lightly with salt and pepper.
• Cover the pot and simmer 15 minutes.
• Stir in the zucchini, cover the pot, and continue cooking until the potatoes and zucchini are very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the rice; cook, stirring well, until the rice is al dente-tender, but still firm, about 14 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves; stir the parsley into the soup; check seasonings and add salt/pepper if needed.
• Ladle the soup into warm bowls and sprinkle each with some of the grated cheese.

CORN CHOWDER WITH ZUCCHINI AND ORZO

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Add zucchini and saute until crisp-tender, 4 minutes. Stir in orzo and heat until warmed through. Transfer to a bowl and toss with scallion greens; season with salt and pepper.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in saucepan over medium-high. Add scallion whites and saute until tender, 3 minutes. Add corn and cook until tender, 3 minutes. Add 3 cups water and corncobs and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until chowder thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Discard cobs and season with salt and pepper. In batches, fill a blender halfway with chowder and puree (use caution when blending hot liquids). Serve chowder topped with zucchini mixture.

VEGETABLE SOUP (LIDIA BASTIANICH)

Steps:

• Add onion chunks, garlic cloves, basil, parsley, and 1/4 cup olive oil in the food processor bowl; chop to a chunky-textured pesto.
• Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into large soup pot, set over med-high heat; scrape in the pesto; cook, stirring often, as it sizzles and dries, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lift the rehydrated porcini from the soaking liquid (strain/reserve the liquid) and chop into fine bits.
• When the pesto just begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, drop the porcini, the chopped celery, carrots, tomato, and diced potatoes into the pot, and stir well.
• Cook over high heat, stirring until the potatoes become crusty and start to stick to the bottom.
• Pour in the cold water and the porcini soaking liquid; stir in the salt and heat the water to a vigorous bubble.
• Drop in the cheese rind, partially cover the pot, and adjust to maintain a steady bubbling.
• Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour--until the vegetables begin to break down; add the chicory, spinach, and peas.
• Return to a bubbling boil, and cook 30 minutes longer, until the broth is concentrated and flavorful and the total volume has reduced by about a quarter.
• Ladle the simmering soup into warm bowls; sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of freshly grated cheese over each portion, and finish with a swirl of excellent olive oil; pass more grated cheese at the table.

FRESH CORN AND ZUCCHINI SAUTE

Steps:

• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook and stir onion in the melted butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Cut kernels from the ears of corn. Add zucchini and corn; cook and stir until zucchini is tender, about 8 minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper.