VEGETARIAN APPLE PARSNIP SOUP
I once knew a very distinguished French ambassador to the United States who felt that soup was the only way to start a dinner. For Jewish people in France, the broth of a stew is often the prelude to holiday and weekday meals, whether it is an Alsatian pot-au-feu or a North African dafina. A way to give new life to leftover meat and vegetables, soup has always been the food of sustenance for poor people. When I first tasted this extraordinary soup at a dinner at the French embassy in Washington, I thought that it must have been made with good chicken broth and heavy cream, but to my surprise, it wasn't. Francis Layrle, the ambassador's former chef, made it with fresh vegetable broth, something he used very often for guests at the embassy who kept kosher or were vegetarians. This elegant and light soup has become one of my favorites, with its wonderful vegetarian broth that can be used as a basis for so many other soups. Those who do not keep kosher may, of course, substitute chicken broth. I have separated the ingredients for broth and soup, to facilitate making the vegetarian broth as a separate recipe for other occasions.
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- To make the broth, heat the olive oil very slowly in a large pot. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and leeks, and sauté until the onion is transparent.
- Add 10 cups water along with the bay leaves, thyme, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, and simmer over low heat, half covered, for 45 minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, add the parsley and chervil, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Put everything through a sieve, and set the broth aside.
- For the soup, put the parsnips and the lemon juice in a large bowl. Cover with water, and let sit for a few minutes until you are ready to make the soup. Drain and dry the parsnips.
- Heat the olive oil and the butter in a heavy soup pot. Add the shallots, parsnips, and apples, and sauté for about 10 minutes, or until the shallots are clear but not golden. Add the cider, and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Then add the broth, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer slowly for 40 minutes. Add salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.
- Purée the soup in a blender or food processor, and if you want more acidity, add the cider vinegar. Serve immediately.
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