Rania's Recipes: 2 Thanksgiving Soups
Thanksgiving is tomorrow! If you're looking for some soup ideas, check out these two from Rania Harris!
Roasted Chestnut Bisque
- 1 medium size sweet onion - diced
- 2 large carrots - diced
- 3 stalks of celery - diced
- 1 medium size leek - diced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 tablespoons cognac or brandy
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 – 14 ounce jar roasted and peeled chestnuts
- 6 – 7 sprigs oregano
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Oregano oil (see recipe below)
Directions:
Sauté the onion, celery, carrots and leek in the olive oil until translucent. Add the cognac or brandy and scrape up the brown bits from the pan ~ cook until the cognac or brandy has evaporated. Add the chicken stock, chestnuts and oregano. Bring to boil and then lower the heat and simmer the soup for about 45 minutes. Allow the soup to cool a bit ~ remove the oregano stems and then blend in batches the soup in batches. After blending each batch, strain through a fine sieve, pushing out any solids that remain with the back of a wooden spoon. Clean the soup pot and place the strained and pureed soup back into the pot. Bring the soup back to a simmer and slowly add in the cream. Heat it gently and serve immediately drizzled with the oregano oil.
Oregano Oil:
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 sprigs fresh oregano
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a small pot just until it begins to shimmer ~ remove from heat and add the sprigs of oregano. Allow to cook and then strain out the sprigs of oregano. Store in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.
Roasted Parsnip and Vanilla Chocolate Soup
- 2 pounds parsnips (about 4 or 5 large parsnips)
- ¼ cup olive oil (2 tablespoons to brush on parsnips and 2 tablespoons to brush on bread for croutons)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 whole vanilla bean – split – seeds scraped out
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 loaf French bread – cut into cubes for croutons
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ¼ cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill leaves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel parsnips, and cut into 1-inch chunks, brush lightly with oil and place on a baking sheet lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Roast until the parsnips begin to soften (as tested with a knife blade) and until the tips begin to turn golden brown. This takes about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes while you start the other ingredients in the stockpot. (Leave oven on for toasting of croutons.)
Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large stockpot and gently sauté the onion until translucent. Add the chicken stock and add the vanilla seeds into the pot along with the vanilla pod itself. Increase heat to medium, add the roasted parsnips, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, lower the heat and cover ~ simmer until the parsnips are completely tender, about 20 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, toss the bread cubes in olive oil and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sift dark cocoa over the croutons and toast in the 400 degree preheated oven until crisp. Remove and set aside.
Stir the white chocolate chips into the soup and cook for a further 5 minutes, to allow them to melt.
Remove soup from heat, discard vanilla pod, and stir in heavy cream. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Check soup for seasoning. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh dill. Top with dark chocolate dusted croutons.
Serves: 6 to 8
