SOUP - Fall 2021 (Oct-Dec) Dish of the Quarter

Hey HOs! During the nomination process for COTQ this quarter, it became clear that there was interest in reviving the old dish of the month concept. Voting monthly can be cumbersome, though, so we’ve decided to introduce Dish of the Quarter! This quarter’s clear winner was SOUP. Looking forward to a lively discussion of all the soups you are making and/or eating out this quarter!

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I do :hearts: soup…

Corn Chowder - Steamed Corn (part puréed, part whole, part garnish), Butter Sautéed Onions & Garlic, Roux, Vegetable Broth, Corn Broth, Cream, Salt, Lemon Pepper, White Pepper, Pinch of Cayenne

And a BLT

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This is one of my favourite soups to make, Russian Cabbage Soup / Shchi

Another good one

My favourite curried lentil soup

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.thestar.com/amp/life/food_wine/recipes/2011/01/29/chefs_showcase_curried_lentil_apricot_soup.html

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Is there a significant difference between lentils? That curry apricot soup seems interesting and I’ve got just about every color lentil but red. :slightly_smiling_face:

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There can be. Red (and yellow) are usually sold split, so they cook very quickly and tend to break down much more than those sold whole (green, black and brown). If you have yellow ones, they would be the best sub IMO.

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Darn! Yellow would be great. I need to look. I think I have brown, green & black. And I’ve put myself on a buying freeze until I use up stuff in my stuffed cupboards!

Yessss

Red lentils are the skinless, split form of brown/black lentils and cook fast

Yellow moong/mung are the skinless, split form of green mung/moong beans and also cook fast

Then there are a bunch of others that I would call lentils ie dal (vs beans):
channa / bengal gram - skinless (related to small chickpeas)
urad / matpe - skinless white or whole black
tuvar / arhar / pigeon peas - skinless split, occasionally whole

Rest are beans.

Here’s are a couple of pictorial explanations:

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Great @Saregama! I’ll bookmark the charts.

I’m still a little confused. Is the only difference how long they cook? Or do the split yellow and red lentils have a significant flavor profile & texture (egs. creamier, better for soups)?

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Red lentils (masoor) and yellow lentils (moong) are popular choices for soup because they cook fast (especially if soaked even a short while, and even moreso if a pressure cooker is used).

Both are creamy - you can stick an immersion blender in if the combination of soaking and cooking (or pressure cooking) did not already result in complete disintegration.

They do taste slightly different. You may or may not be able to detect the difference depending on application and other flavorings (I usually can, but I’ve been eating them my whole life).

Beyond yellow (moong), red (masoor), and tuvar (skinless pigeon peas), the others are all detectable if substituted - taste and/or texture.

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Thanks @Saregama!

I haven’t had a lot of red lentils (masoor), but yellow (moong) do seem lighter, less dense & starchy than whole lentils like black, brown & green. I’m tempted to buy a bag of moong but I literally have 19 bags of different dried beans & peas.

TBC…

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Just use what you already have :slight_smile:

The only difference between red and brown is the skin is still on the latter. (I do agree it makes the prep feel “heavier” when eating, but I think that’s the extra fiber.)

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Thanks @Saregama!

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I have made the soup with whatever lentils I’ve got.

Usually green lentils. It’s good with any lentils, and also good with split peas.

I don’t buy red lentils often, we prefer green and brown lentils.

I also make a simplified version, which is lentils (any type), coconut milk, curry powder (any type- I’ve used various Indian curry powders as well as Jamaican curry powder), and dried apricots, when I’m short on time. Have also used canned lentils when I want a super quick version. Sometimes I reduce the amount of liquid so it’s a side dish.

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Great! No stress. :slightly_smiling_face: I’ll post when I make it. Thanks!

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Potato leek soup today for lunch following this recipe more or less. It came out pretty well but didn’t need any added salt as the broth I used (using Better than Bouillon paste) was salty enough.

PXL_20211013_181441098.PORTRAIT

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Arguably closer to stew than soup: an improvised butternut squash, bell pepper, leek, and shredded brisket bowl. I had leftover brisket in the freezer but I think white beans would have been as good or better.

Broth of fire-roasted tomatoes and water, with chipotle powder and ground cumin for flavor. Kick from a whole habanero, fished out at the end.

Soup is all about the garnishes to me so our bowls got a dollop of labne and a sprinkle of pepitas.

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I agree. Good garnishes.

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Tomato Soup

Puréed leftover Sauce from Tomato & Wine braised beef, Tomato Paste, Chopped Tomatoes, Chix Broth, Cream, Black Pepper, Indian Spices for nice warm heat. Garnished w/Olive Oil & Salt Roasted Green Tiger Tomatoes, Cream & Chives.

What goes better w/tomato soup than Grilled Cheese?

Olive Oil Griddled Dave’s Killer White Bread w/Muenster, Cyprus Grove Midnight Moon (gouda-ish goat cheese), Cream Cheese & Pineapple Heirloom Tomatoes.

And a nice Chianti…

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Creative remix. I’ll bet that soup was richly flavored.

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Thanks @tomatotomato!

Yah, the braised beef is a great recipe from Anne Burrell before she became a gameshow host. It involves puréeing the sofrito & frying it in olive oil until it’s a “dark crud” then adding tomato paste, wine, water, seasonings. So rich! I had way more sauce than meat, so it’s become a master sauce! TBC… is chili a soup?

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