Zesty Lemony Soup and More

Zesty Lemony Soup and More

This weekend was a busy one of errands and laundry, but I found time for a couple of good food excursions. One, I will give you the secret to good chicken soup. (Or vegetable soup—works fine for either.) I can usually take or leave basic chicken soup, but this zesty trick has made a lover out of me. First make your soup, any way you like. When you’re about 15 minutes from eating, add a big handful of tiny pasta—I used acini di pepe—plus a peeled, cored, and finely diced apple and the finely chopped zest from one lemon. (Just use a thin knife to peel off long pieces, avoiding the white pith as you can, then chop.) Simmer gently until the apple is soft and the pasta is just done. Whisk together the juice of a lemon and 1 egg (or 2, if making more than 4 servings), then temper it with a ladle of hot broth, whisking quickly so it doesn’t scramble. Pour the whole lot into the pot, stirring quickly. Your goal is not egg drop soup; it should look as though you just added a cup of luscious, naughty cream to your otherwise healthy soup. (This technique is from a Greek soup called avgolemono.) Taste and add more lemon if you like.

Now! You’ve saved some calories for dessert, yes? I’ll tell you about part one of my project this week:  to make a passable petit four—but vegan, and without soy or tree nuts—for a friend’s High Tea (her daughter has allergies). I started with a highly recommended petit four tutorial from VeganYumYum (the génoise recipe was attributed to Bryanna Clark Grogan). I used soy-free Earth Balance and rice milk. This was probably THE best white cake I’ve ever made: light as air, sweet but not too, and had some nice elasticity. I laboriously sliced through sections, slapped on some apple jelly I had in the freezer, and tightly wrapped each mini layer cake. Step 2? Visit a cupcake-making friend in D.C. on Friday, and foist the decorating on her.  I’ll share the outcome next time.

-Kristen

Image via here.