In 1958 Jennie Grossinger wrote, “No Jewish-style meal is complete without a soup.” It seems that no matter where Jews have landed, in the diaspora or in Israel, our cuisines all include delicious soups. With bread for dipping and sopping, soup is a complete meal.
North African soups are redolent of spices, while Ashkenazi soups are flavored with chicken stock and dried mushrooms. With the recent storms and cold weather, more of our time is spent indoors, where the aroma of warm soup welcomes hungry visitors.
North African Pumpkin Soup | Serves 8-10
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 1/2 lbs. peeled pumpkin cubes (or other winter squash)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. harissa (or other hot sauce)
1 Tbs. grated ginger
1 tsp. fine sea salt
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro leaves
Heat olive oil in a soup pot, add onion and pumpkin, and cook over moderate heat 5 or 6 minutes, stirring as needed. Add ground spices to onion and squash, along with hot sauce, ginger, salt and 1/2 cup of stock. Continue to cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add remaining stock and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until pumpkin is soft. Puree soup through a coarse sieve, food processor or blender. Return soup to pot, taste for seasoning, and add more salt if necessary. Serve warm and garnish each serving with cilantro.
Mushroom Barley Soup | Serves 8-10
4 Tbs. olive oil
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
6 cups water
2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 oz. dried mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, rinsed and drained
1 cup barley, rinsed
1/2 cup sour cream
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and sauté the celery, onion, and carrot until the onion begins to brown. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil. Drop in the mushrooms and the barley. Bring to a simmer, and continue to cook until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, with a dollop of sour cream.
Spinach Soup | Serves 8-10
6 Tbs. unsalted butter
6 Tbs. flour
2 tsp. sweet paprika
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups milk
2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 lb. chopped spinach leaves
Melt the butter in a soup pot over a medium flame. Add the flour, paprika and the garlic, stirring well. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Continue stirring until the milk is thickened and creamy. Add the salt and pepper. Over low heat, stir in the spinach. Simmer gently until the spinach is wilted. Serve warm.
My Mother’s Carrot-Orange Soup | Serves 8-10
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 onions, sliced
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and sliced
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup orange juice
1 cup crème fraîche (optional)
2 tsp. fine sea salt
4 Tbs. chopped flat leaf parsley
In an 8-quart soup pot, melt the butter and stir in the onions and carrots. Lower the heat, cover the pot and allow the carrots to “sweat” for 15 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very soft. Puree the soup and stir in the orange juice and crème fraîche, if using. Add the salt, and adjust the seasoning. Reheat gently to serve, and garnish with the parsley.
Rebecca Ets-Hokin is a Bay Area cooking teacher and food professional. Her columns alternate with those of Louise Fiszer. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to [email protected].