Saturday, June 2, 2012

Creamy zucchini soup, with two sides


Part 1: Although the husband isn't always wild about it, I'm prone to making lots of pureed soups. He prefers soups with some texture, which I understand. But, pureed soups remain on the menu chez Hungry Dog. As long as I have a few key ingredients on hand--a vegetable (carrots, zucchini, broccoli, or asparagus will all do nicely), an onion, a Russet potato, and some broth--I can turn out a decent soup.

I am fairly sure I have described my method somewhere before, but in case I haven't, it's this: melt some butter and oil in a pot over medium-low. Add a chopped onion and some salt and cook until soft but without browning. Add a peeled, diced potato and cook for a couple of minutes. Add some minced garlic, if you like, and cook another minute. Then add your chopped vegetable of choice--in this case about four zucchini--add enough broth to cover without drowning, and cook until all the vegetables are tender. Blend, salt and pepper to taste, and, if you like (which I do), add a splash of cream or half and half. You don't need much and  it really brings the consistency from pureed vegetable (a la baby food) to something silky and more adult.

With green vegetables, one of the downsides of soup-making is losing the vibrant color, which is why I don't salt until the end. However, I also have another trick, which is to stir in a few handfuls of spinach (in this case fresh, but you could used frozen, defrosted spinach) right before you puree. It brightens up the whole pot.

This kind of soup is great on a weeknight, as I nearly always have all the ingredients in my pantry. However, what I often don't have is good, fresh bread. So when I made this soup a few weeks back, I was pleased to realize I had buttermilk that needed to be used up. Buttermilk cheddar biscuits to the rescue!


Really not bad for a last-minute dinner and it went over well with the husband, in particular the biscuits. He is a Kentucky boy, after all. Aside from fried chicken and jam cake, biscuits may be the quickest way to his heart.


Part 2: Sadly, biscuits go from being fluffy and light the first day to all but leaden the next. I'm not sure why scones seem to survive another day but biscuits don't--perhaps someone can enlighten me. I did choke one down the next morning for breakfast (what a trooper!) but when lunch rolled around and I pulled out my leftover soup, I was once again in need of something to go alongside.

As you know, I take deep satisfaction from being able to use up leftovers, particularly now that I eat lunch at home most days. I'll eat all kinds of curious combinations for my solo lunches, and this time my rummaging had particularly fine results.

I had an odd amount of salmon leftover from another dinner--not enough to be anything on its own, but too much to even give to the dog, who would not appreciate its $18-per-poundness. I also had half an avocado to use up (incidentally, I've been obsessed with avocados recently, eating several a week. More on this in another post.) Plus some radishes and a single slice of bread that I had rejected the night before but the next day I determined was good enough to eat if toasted and spread with olive tapenade, which I also found in the fridge.

I give you: salmon, avocado, and radish tartine with olive tapenade.


Beautiful, right? Not exactly dippable, but it still elevated the soup from leftover to lovely.


For any of you that actually come to my house for dinner, rest assured, I serve our guests brand new, never-before-seen food purchased just for the purpose of hosting you. No need to fret that the pasta I'm serving you is the reincarnation of last night's pot roast, although that really isn't a bad idea. But even I have limitations of thrift when it comes to entertaining.

For my own lunch and my own pleasure, though--this little reinvention was just the ticket.

18 comments:

  1. That tartine is brilliant and - guess what! - I have just about that amount of salmon left over in my fridge, too. I'm making one like that for tomorrow's lunch.

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  2. Zoom: Did you give it a try? It's really a great combo...

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  3. Wow, those biscuits look so good! I have only made biscuits once, and they were great! I really must make some again sometime

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  4. I think we all have our odd little go-to lunches. I know I do. Your tartine looks pretty good to me.
    As for creamed soups, I like them too, but more often than not, prefer them cold.
    Don't know what to say about biscuits as I so rarely make them, but my dad loved them. He toasted them (which would be fine the second day) and then slathered butter and poured maple syrup all over them. Do you believe? And he lived to 96.

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  5. Cathleen: Definitely do!

    Barbara: Well, your dad must have been doing something right! He clearly enjoyed his life, which can only contribute to longevity, I'm inclined to think.

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  6. Oh, drool! You have to open up Chez Hungry Dog. Now! Do it!

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  7. yeah...leftover biscuits aren't so grand. they're lovely for a breakfast casserole, though!

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  8. cookie: Oh, ok!

    grace: Breakfast casserole! Now if that doesn't prove you're southern, nothing does!

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  9. Ha ha ha, I love the tartine! I am definitely a thriftser too, can't bear to part with "perfectly alright" food :) But when hosting dinner etc, all the food has to be fresh and hang the expense - although this does leave particularly fine leftovers for the family the next day ;)

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  10. shaz: Well it's a shame to waste good food... ;)

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  11. I love pureed soup too! And I agree that it's so simple. I never thought of zucchini as an ingredient, mostly because I never know how to describe the flavor of zucchini? Your leftover looks great too, count me in on the <3 avocado camp! And if you invite me to your place, I will willingly eat leftovers! :)

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  12. Looks delicious! What a great idea for an open-faced sandwich.

    http://cfookd.blogspot.com/

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  13. This is what I need to eat during the week...less microwaved heat-ups, and more easy to put together delights like yours. I can't get my husband to easily eat pureed soups either especially not in the warm months (sigh).

    Awesome.
    Velva

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  14. Ben: Yes, we'll have to have you over one of these days...but only for new food!

    Elizabeth: Thank you!

    Velva: Well, we don't have a microwave, nor do we live in a warm climate...so pureed soups have a better chance here!

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  15. What a great way to use up that leftover salmon....looks really yum! I especially love the look of those cheddar biscuits...send any leftovers my way! :)

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  16. Thanks, Fern! Give the biscuits a go, they are simple and delicious!

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  17. Any surprise that I like my soups a little chunky too? Probably not. I'm not yet on the biscuit train, but thinking I should get on.

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  18. alittle: why am I not surprised?!

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