Alphabet Soup by Kyle Gallagher

Written by: Francine LaBouquét

V S

The book that holds the soup master’s recipies

Alphabet Soup Cook Book

French Onion Soup

1/4

DRY WHITE WINE

+ MORE AS NEEDED

TBS.

PINCH OF SUGAR

CUPS OF q ALL-PURPOSE WATER FLOUR

1CUP

1 SPRIG OF

OUNCES

FRESH THYME CHEESE 1CRUSTYBAGUETTE GRATED

Serves 6 Remove cover, and cook stirring frequently until the onions begin to brown lightly, about 90 minutes longer. Now stir every 5 minutes and add a couple tablespoons of water whenever the bottom of the pan crusts over with dark colored fond. Continue to cook as directed until the onions are an even dark walnut color, an additional 45 minutes longer.

Ingredients 3 pounds yellow onions 3 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ teaspoon Table Salt , plus more as needed 1 pinch sugar 8 cups water , plus more as needed 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 sprig fresh thyme ¼ cup dry white wine 1 crusty baguette 8 ounces grated Gruyére Cheese (or Swiss)

1/2

l Pounds TBS. yellow onions UNSALTED T. TABLE SALT BUTTER MORE 9 AS NEEDED

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Add the flour and stir for two minutes. Add 8 cups water and thyme to the onions and bring to a boil. Lower heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add white wine and simmer 10 minutes longer. Taste for seasoning adding salt as needed. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325 degrees and adjust a rack to the upper middle position. Cut the baguette into ¾ inch slices and arrange on a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake until the bread is dry, crisp and very lightly colored at the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove bread slices and set aside.

Instructions

Cut the tips off the onions and slice them in half lengthwise pole to pole. Peel off the outer layer of the skin and cut each half in half lengthwise. Slice each quarter crosswise into ⅛ inch slices. As you get close to the root flip each piece onto the other flat side and continue slicing. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once it has stopped foaming add the onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and sugar. Toss to evenly coat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Heat broiler and place 6 heatproof bowls in a baking sheet. Fill each bowl with about 2 cups soup. Top each with two baguette slices and evenly distribute grated cheese over the bread. Broil until well browned and bubbly, about ten minutes. Cool for five minutes before serving.

GRUYERE OR SWISS

CREAMY TOMATO SOUP PI

RL TO PA E IC S M CK AT E O D C E

Serves 6 to 8

TA SA LT BL C ES BR H BA PO O O Y O TH PP LE N ED A S

C J C L N UI O C U E O V

RE D

ER N CH P GI N R P E VI PI A P TR

Ingredients

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain. Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Âź cup extra virgin olive oil , plus more for drizzling 1 medium onion , chopped medium 3 medium garlic cloves Pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional) 1 bay leaf 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice 1 tablespoon brown sugar 3 large slices good quality sandwich bread , crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces 2 cups Low-sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons brandy (optional) Ground salt and black pepper Âź cup chopped fresh chives

Transfer half of soup to blender. Add 1 tablespoon oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil. Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in chicken broth and brandy (if using). Return soup to boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

IL EO

N O PO ES BL TA

W O BR

CU H

LIV

E CH N AN IV ES DY

3 G1 A

U RO

BR EA D

ES EC

If half of the soup fills your blender by more than two-thirds, process the soup in three batches. You can also use an immersion blender to process the soup directly in the pot. For an even smoother soup, pass the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before stirring in the chicken broth in step 2. Serve this soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for a Crowd or topped with Butter Croutons (see related recipes).

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP Serves 6 to 8

Instructions For freshness, puree some of the garlic and ginger with water in a blender, then leave this mixture in the blender while making the soup. The finished soup is pureed in the same blender, where it will pick up a hit of spicy raw garlic and ginger flavor.

Place the 2 peeled whole garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of the grated ginger, and the water in a blender. Blend until smooth, about 25 seconds; leave the mixture in the blender jar and set aside.

Heat the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until foaming. Add the onions and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the minced garlic, remaining 2 ½ teaspoons ginger, curry powder, cumin, cayenne, and flour; stir until evenly combined, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly and vigorously, gradually add the chicken broth.

Ingredients 4 medium cloves garlic 1 piece ginger, peeled ¼ cup water 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 medium onions , chopped 1 teaspoon tomato paste ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ cup all-purpose flour 7 cups low sodium chicken 2 medium carrots 1 medium rib celery 1 medium banana Plain yogurt 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

Add the carrots, celery, and whole banana to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches in the blender with the garlic and ginger until very smooth. Wash and dry the pot. Return the pureed soup to the clean pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Warm the soup over medium heat until hot, about 1 minute. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, spoon a dollop of the yogurt over each bowl, sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve immediately.

CREAMY LEEK-POTATO SOUP Serves 4 to 6

Instructions

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fill the blender by more than two-thirds with hot soup; if necessary, process in three batches. You can also use an immersion blender to process the soup directly in the pot. Use the lowest setting on your toaster to dry out the bread without overbrowning it. A garnish is essential to add texture and flavor to this soup. We like Fried Leeks (recipe follows), crisp bacon bits, a dollop of sour cream, or freshly chopped chives. The soup can also be garnished with Garlic Chips or Garlic Croutons.

Bring dark-green leek pieces, broth, and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; set aside. Discard solids in strainer and rinse out saucepan.

Melt butter in now-empty saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter foams, stir in sliced leeks, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.

Ingredients 4 medium leeks 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups water 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion Table salt 1small russet potato 1 bay leaf 1 sprig fresh thyme or tarragon 1 large slice high quality sandwich bread Ground black pepper

Increase heat to high, stir in reserved broth, potato, bay leaf, and herb sprig and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add toasted bread and simmer until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes.

Remove and discard bay leaf and herb sprig. Transfer half of soup to blender and process until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Return soup to saucepan and bring to simmer; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with garnish.

Z M