Classic Dishes of Decades Past

SAVORY SOUPS & STEW

by Lou Seibert Pappas

Vegetable Soup with Pesto

I’ve savored many variations of this great soup on trips to the Provence region of France and Italy. It is especially good with a big bowl of homemade pesto to embellish it.

1 quart chicken broth

1 large red potato, diced

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1 yellow crookneck squash, thinly sliced

1 small leek (white part only), sliced

1/3 cup shelled fresh peas

1 tomato, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Basil Pesto

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Add the potato and carrot, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini, crookneck squash and leek and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Add the peas, tomato and parsley and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and pass the Basil Pesto and the cheese.

Makes 4 servings

The Farmer’s Soup

I have been making this hearty soup since my early trips to France in the sixties. Sometimes red Bliss potatoes replace russets; then, I leave their pink skins intact. The cheese and parsley flourish on top gives a teasing finish.

3 medium leeks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1-1/2 quarts chicken broth

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup shredded Gruyère, Jarlsberg or Emmentaler cheese

Trim the leeks and cut them in half lengthwise. Wash the leeks well under cold running water to remove any sand. Finely chop the leeks.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and potatoes, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the leeks, tarragon, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are soft. Coarsely mash the vegetables with a potato masher. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the parsley and cheese.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Fisherman’s Stew

This flavor-packed full-meal soup is surprisingly easy to assemble. It was a discovery on a press trip to the picturesque seaport of Honfleur, France. You can use halibut or another firm white fish in place of the snapper.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium to large leek, (white part only) chopped

3 stalks fennel, chopped (about 1 cup)

4 cups fish or chicken broth

3/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth

3 medium Yukon gold or white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 pound red snapper fillets

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Minced fresh dill, fennel or flat-leaf parsley for garnish

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, leek and fennel and sauté until soft. Add the stock and wine or vermouth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, bay leaf and fennel seeds and return to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Cut the fish into small chunks and add them to the soup. Cover the pan and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with the herbs.

Makes 6 servings