So my DH decided that he wanted soup in September in LA. While we weren't really having soupish weather he went out and bought a book all about soup. The book is called 1 Stock 100 Soups. The idea is that you can create 100 soups from one basic vegetable stock. Great idea. However, I'm not going to sit around and make vegetable stock from scratch when I know I can buy it in the market. It probably would have been cheaper to make it from scratch but like I said it was September in Los Angeles and that makes for an extremely hot house if there is to much cooking going on for to long.
So we decided that we would each choose one recipe and we would spend a day in the kitchen together creating our masterpieces. Great idea right? This would give us the chance to spend quality time together doing one of my favorite things. So once we each picked our soups DH stated that my soup was gross and was going to taste nasty and he just couldn't understand it. So then he challenged me. He would make the better soup. Now I know this man isn't the worse cook in the world (remember how large the world is) but he isn't the best. So I'm like "OKAY YOUR ON"!!
Saturday comes and instead of doing soups I decide I would put a few things on the grill instead. Unfortunately I can only attach the pictures of the items pre-cooked because I was so hungry (and tipsy) by the time they were done I forgot to take after pictures of them. My Bad!! But in addition to the dinner of steaks and shrimp kabobs that I made that night I also worked on my soup.
So Sunday comes and that's usually game day. Our 10 year old typically has football games on Sunday so by the time the family gets back home we're all tired and just kind of laz around. At some point I bring up to DH that he still has to cook his soup. Mind you I went out and bought all the ingredients for his soup so I'd be damned if that soup wasn't gonna get made. However, time kept on ticking and no action. So finally I get up and decide i would do the prep work for his soup but before I know it I've pretty much done all the work. He did help a little. I think I remember him actually putting the crab meat in the pot??!!
So in light of the fact that I actually cooked both soups we decided to change the challenge to a "Who Picked The Better Soup From The Soup Book Challenge". In this category I think he won. His soup was gone probably after a day while mine continued to sit there for almost a week and I think in the end someone just got rid of it vs. actually eating it.
The Soups were:
Cajun Crab & Corn Chowder
Apple Soup
The Apple Soup was meant to be served cold. However, it tasted much better warm. My daughter and I tasted it Sunday morning while it was cold and once she said it reminded her of baby food I was TOO THROUGH. Couldn't touch it again. If you were to test this recipe don't puree it. Leave it chunky and eat it warm.
The Cajun Crab & Corn Chowder wasn't as hearty as we expected. I would recommend adding bits of diced potatoes to the mix and maybe a little more cayenne then recommended. I would also recommend using fresh chunks of crab meat. The white crab meat we used was from a can and it was very fine and pretty much unoticiable.
Apple Soup
Serves 6
2 1/4 lb apples
2tbsp lemon juice
5 tbsp butter
2 leeeks, sliced
2 potatoes, diced
6 1/4 cups basic vegetable stock
2/3 cup heavy cream
pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
- Reserve 2 of the apples and peel, core, and dice the remainer. put the diced apple into a bowl, add the lemon juice and toss well to prevent discoloration.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large pan. Add the leeks and stir well, then cover and cook over low heat sitrring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until softened. Add the diced apple and cook, stirring occasionally, for an another 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and pour in the basic vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes, until the leeks and apples are soft.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly. Ladle the soup into a food processor or blender, in batches if necessary, and process to a smooth puree. Transfer to a bowl stir in the cream and nutmeg, season to taste with salt and pepper, and let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours.
- To serve, peel, core and dice the reserved apples. Melt the remaining butter in a skillet. Add the diced apples and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until lightly colored and softened but not disintegrating. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Stir the soup and taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the fried apples and serve immediately.
Cajun Crab & Corn Chowder
Serves 6
3tbsp butter
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
3/4 cup medium-dry white wine
2 1/4 cup basic vegetable stock
1 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup creme fraiche
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
8 oz white crabmeat
salt and pepper
- Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Increase the heat to medium pour in the white wine and cook for 2 minutes until the alcohol has evaporated. Pour in the basic vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then add the corn, cayenne, and mixed herbs. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the cream and simmer gently over very low heat for 10-15 minutes more; do not let the soup boil.
- Gradually add the creme fraiche, whisking constantly with a balloon whisk, then stir in the dill and crabmeat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat gently for 3-4 minutes then serve.
