cooking - green soup

I love to cook, especially soups and stews. They lend themselves easily to variations. When I encounter a recipe I want to try, I always follow it to the letter the very first time. After that, I experiment. One such recipe is Green Soup.

I was given this recipe by my friend Delphine. She is originally from France late of the Helvetic Confederation and currently residing in Shanghai. I first met Delphine in Canada through one of my best friends James, who himself is originally from Taiwan. They have since gotten married and have three children. They were visiting us and she made this wonderful soup. Well, I had to have the recipe and she was gracious enough to pass it on to me.

GREEN SOUP (original recipe)

4 zucchini

1 bouillon cube/packet

2 cups (500 mL) water

2 laughing cow

Gently boil until zucchini is soft. Purée. Serve.

It is that simple. I make it at least twice a month. I have since experimented with it, adding and substituting and scaling it up. Sometimes I use or add other vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, even sweet peppers and avocado. I will often sauté onion or leeks before hand and add them to the initial cooking process. I have added cooked potato or corn after puréeing, and even ham or chicken for a heartier soup. I will even replace the bouillon and water with stock. If I do not have any laughing cow, I will use plain yoghurt, sour cream, or philly (there is a wide assortment of flavour profiles with philly and the laughing cow).

I will season it with various spices and herbs, including, but not limited to: marjoram, thyme, paprika, cayenne, white pepper, garlic, and even dried or fresh chili peppers for a spicy soup.

This soup is great on its own or with fresh bread and even a salad. It freezes well too. If your produce is down, this soup lends itself to a little bit of everything. Just chop it all up and throw it in the pot and cook until soft, purée and voilà: soup! Something akin to my "Garbage Can" Soup. Every batch of Green Soup I make is different.

In fact, I am making a pot of Green Soup tonight for supper (and leftovers). Tonight's ingredients will consist of green, yellow, and white zucchini (or courgette to those of you from the UK and similar English language profiles), leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, fresh jalapeño, bouillon, some stock, with paprika, marjoram, white pepper, and  fresh garlic for seasoning (alas I am currently out of bay leaf), two types of laughing cow, and finished with some potato and ham.

ingredients for tonight's soup

So, what are you waiting for, empty out your fridge and have a terrific tasting, yet simple meal. And thank-you Delphine! blbbl