Prosciutto Soup Recipes

GARLIC SOUP WITH CRISPY PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, trim the top off of each head of garlic, keeping the bulb intact. Place each bulb in a square of Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil. Drizzle each bulb with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and about 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves. Wrap foil around bulbs and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until garlic is very tender. Open foil carefully by cutting along top with a sharp knife, allowing steam to escape; then open top.
• In a large pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chopped shallots and saute on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, remaining thyme and bay leaf. Squeeze the soft roasted garlic cloves into the pot. Saute for 3 minutes over medium heat. Stir in broth and 1 cup cream. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes to cool. Remove thyme and bay leaf.
• For the prosciutto, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place slices flat on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until crispy. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Break the prosciutto into small pieces and set aside. In a blender, puree soup in batches until smooth; return to pot. Stir in remaining cup of cream and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with crispy prosciutto, lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Finish with a few leaves of parsley.

PROSCIUTTO SOUP

Steps:

• Set 6 cups of water to boil to save time later. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the bottom of a medium saucepan, and turn the heat to medium. Chop the prosciutto (remove the fat if you must, but remember that it has flavor) into 1/4-inch or smaller cubes, and add to the oil. Brown, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, while you prepare the garlic, onion and greens.
• Peel the garlic, and chop it roughly or leave it whole. Peel and chop onion. Wash and chop greens into bite-size pieces.
• When the prosciutto is browned, add the garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to color, about 2 minutes. Add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the greens, and stir; then, add the 6 cups of boiling water. Stir in the pasta and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper; adjust heat so the mixture simmers.
• When the pasta is done, taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and serve.

PROSCIUTTO SOUP

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a pot or kettle. Put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the bottom of a saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Chop the prosciutto (remove the fat if you must, but remember that it has flavor) into 1/4-inch or smaller cubes and add to the oil. Brown, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, while you prepare the garlic, onion, and greens.
• Peel the garlic and chop it roughly or leave it whole. Peel and chop the onion. Wash and chop the greens into bite-sized pieces.
• When the prosciutto has browned, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to color, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes translucent, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the greens and stir, then add the boiling water. (You can prepare the dish in advance up to this point. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days, then reheat before proceeding.) Stir in the pasta and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper; adjust the heat so the mixture simmers.
• When the pasta is done, taste and adjust the seasoning. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve.
• Variations
• The basic recipe, though delicious, is on the meager side, the kind of soup people make when times are hard or no one's been shopping lately: a small piece of meat, some common vegetables, a little pasta. But you can make it as elaborate as you like and even convert it to a stew by doubling the amount of meat, vegetables, and pasta. The chopping time will be extended slightly, but the cooking time will remain more or less the same.
• Add more root vegetables, like thinly sliced carrots or chopped celery, or diced potatoes or turnips.
• Vary the greens: Shredded cabbage is perfect for this soup and will cook as quickly as kale. Collard, mustard, and turnip greens are also appropriate. Some peas and/or corn will work nicely, too, even if they come from the freezer.
• Use any starch you like in place of the pasta: Rice and barley, each of which take a few minutes longer than pasta, are good choices.
• Add tomatoes, either fresh, canned, or paste, for color and flavor. To use tomato paste, just stir a couple of tablespoons into the sautéing vegetables before adding the water. Tomatoes should be added with the onions so they have time to break up.
• Leftovers are great, like a bit of chopped chicken or some vegetables from a previous meal (rinse them with boiling water if they were sauced).
• Consider the chopped-up rind of hard cheese, like Parmesan, which will not only soften enough to become edible during cooking but will add great flavor to the soup.

PROSCIUTTO AND MELON SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the prosciutto slices on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until firm, golden around the edges, and almost crisp, about 18 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• Place half the melon in the blender with half the tomatoes. Pulse the blender until the mixture is pureed. Pour the soup in a large bowl. Puree the remaining melon and tomatoes and add to the bowl. Add the salt and pepper.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Crumble the cooled prosciutto crisps over the top of the soup. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

PROSCIUTTO AND EGG SOUP

Steps:

• Combine the farro and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a simmer and cook until the farro is tender but chewy, 10 to 20 minutes, or according to the manufacturer's instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove half the prosciutto with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Drizzle in the remaining tablespoon olive oil, and add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the escarole and another 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir for 1 minute to wilt. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until the escarole is completely softened. Stir in the cooked farro. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste.
• Fill a high-sided skillet with 1 1/2 inches of water. Add the vinegar and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a very gentle simmer. Break the eggs, spaced apart, into the water. Cover and turn off the heat. After 3 minutes the whites should be set and the yolks still soft. Remove the poached eggs with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
• Ladle soup into 4 bowls. Top each bowl with a poached egg, a generous sprinkling of Parmesan, the reserved crisped prosciutto and some pepper.

ROAST TOMATO SOUP WITH BASIL AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Core the tomatoes - use the tip of a sharp paring knife to make a shallow cut all around the stem end, and then pop out the core.
• Cut the tomato into halves if small, or quarters if large.
• Place the tomatoes on a roasting tray, with cut sides facing up.
• Sprinkle with raw sugar, salt and pepper.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hour, checking from time to time that they are not burning.
• Remove and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy based pan.
• Gently saute the onions and garlic until onions are soft and translucent.
• Add the roasted tomatoes with all the juices from the baking tray, the tinned tomatoes and their juice, white wine, stock and 1 teaspoon sugar.
• Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
• Remove from heat and add basil leaves, keeping four to six aside for garnish.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 390F in preparation for crisping the proscuitto.
• Blend the soup with a stick blender or food processor and then pass through a fine sieve.
• Check for seasoning and, if desired add another teaspoon of sugar and pepper to taste - you probably won't need to add any salt as the proscuitto is quite salty already (see below).
• Place the sliced prosciutto on a cake rack and set on an oven tray.
• Cook the proscuitto for 5-8 minutes or until crisp.
• Remove from oven, cool on rack and crumble into pieces.
• Just before serving, bring the soup to a simmer, add the cream and heat through gently.
• Pour the hot soup into 6 shallow bowls.
• Sprinkle with crispy prosciutto and sliced basil, and serve.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH CRISPY PROSCIUTTO AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a big soup pot, set over med-high heat.
• Add in leeks; saute/stirring, until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add in cauliflower florets, chicken stock, and cayenne pepper; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally; then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cover pot.
• Cook until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.
• Puree the soup in batches in a food processor, blender, or food mill, and return soup to pot (or use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot).
• Whisk in 1/2 cup of the cheese and the creme fraiche; taste the soup and season with salt if needed (the soup can be made 2 days ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate; reheat over medium heat).
• Cut the prosciutto into julienne strips 3-4 inches long and 1/4 inch wide.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; when hot, add the prosciutto, saute/stir occasionally, until crisp and browned, for 4-5 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer prosciutto to paper towels to drain.
• To serve--ladle soup into 6 soup bowls; sprinkle each serving with some prosciutto, chopped parsley, and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CRISPY PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook prosciutto strips until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots, and onion; saute until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add butternut squash. Pour in chicken stock to cover vegetables (you will not use both boxes of stock here). Season with thyme, sage, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Let soup cool slightly. Blend with an immersion blender. Add more chicken stock to thin to desired consistency.
• Ladle soup into bowls and top with crispy prosciutto.

PEA SOUP WITH CRISP PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place prosciutto slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake until crisp, about 18 to 20 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, and blot to remove excess oil. Cool.
• In a stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and saute onions with a pinch of salt over medium heat until soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, another pinch of salt and just enough water to cover; cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Add shelled peas and sugar snaps with enough hot water just to cover them. Cover pot, and simmer until peas are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and puree soup in a food processor or blender in small batches. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with crisped prosciutto on top.