Vegetable Soup
Beyond gazpacho, this refreshing appetizer distills the essence of fresh vegetables into a jellied stock which is served atop blanched vegetable garnish. A sprinkling of herbs and edible flowers completes the presentation. Chef Le Favour emphasizes that any mixture of 4 or 5 chilled seasonal vegetables can be used for the vegetable garnish.
Ingredients
- Vegetable Jelly (Stock)
- Onion - 1 large, sliced thinly
- Leeks - 1 to 2, washed, sliced thinly
- Carrots - 2 to 3, peeled and sliced thinly
- Parsnips - 1, peeled and sliced thinly
- Rutabaga - 1 medium, peeled and sliced thinly
- Turnip - 1 medium, peeled and sliced thinly
- Celery with Leaves - 1/2 bunch, sliced thinly
- Fresh Thyme - 2 sprigs
- Fresh basil - 1 sprig
- Parsley - 6 sprigs
- Bay Leaf - 1 small
- Garlic Cloves - 2, crushed
- Peel of 1/2 lemon
- Cloves - 2 whole
- Star Anise - 6
- Black peppercorns - 8, slightly crushed
- Unflavored gelatin
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Vegetable Garnish
- Radishes - 3, thinly sliced, chilled
- Carrot - 1, cut into thin rounds, blanched and chilled
- Green Beans - 4, split, blanched, and chilled
- Mixture of red, green, and yellow peppers, 1/4 each, seeded, thinly sliced, chilled
- Leek - 2 strips, washed, shredded, blanched, and chilled
- Cucumber - 1 small, thinly sliced, chilled
- Snow Pea Pods - 4 small, blanched and chilled
- Broccoli florets - 4 small, blanched and chilled
- Chives, Basil, and Tarragon - 4 tablespoons, mixed chopped
- Edible Flowers - 1 tablespoon edible flowers such as borage, onion flowers, or nasturtium petals (optional)
Instructions
To prepare the soup: At least 8 to 10 hours before serving, place all ingredients in a stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and skim, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve, then strain through a sieve lined with two layers of cheesecloth. Return to the heat and reduce by one-fourth. Skim carefully during the reducing process. Remove from heat and measure the remaining liquid. For each 2 cups of hot stock, add 1 tablespoon gelatin dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Pour into a flat pan and chill for 2 to 3 hours.
To serve: Remove the jelly from the refrigerator half an hour before serving; let stand at room temperature. Scatter bits of vegetable garnish in large soup plates. Break the jelly into irregular pieces with a fork and place on top of the vegetables, using about 1/2 cup per person. Top with fresh herbs and edible flowers. Serve within 5 minutes of assembly.
