Archive for August, 2009

This Ain’t Yo’ Mama’s Gazpacho Soup

Posted by SoupAdmin on August 6, 2009

I’m about to say something very controversial, and I ask you not to judge me. I…. don’t…. love… gazpacho!! Aaaahhh!!! I’m sorry!! But, you can’t really own a soup company and not make gazpacho. And so many folks have been asking for it – so we had to come up with something. So Soupermom and I headed down to the market to brainstorm. As I was munching on my tenth free sample of tomato, I popped a slice of peach in my mouth. I poured in a little olive oil, white-wine vinegar, agave nectar, some salt, a wee bit of pepper, and some fresh tarragon, for giggles. Yes, people stared. And yes, I have a huge mouth. It is enormous, really. I began to chew and chew, as Soupermom was yelling at me that if I kept doing stuff like that, I was going to choke, and also we would get permanently banned from the market. When I finally swallowed I said – by golly, that’s it!! This is our gazpacho!! Peach and tomatoes! With some tang and some sweetness! Oh my, oh my! Soupermom couldn’t help herself. She began stuffing everything in her mouth too. But her mouth isn’t as big, so she spilled all over her shirt, and then, well, we did get kicked out. But with an awesome gazpacho recipe, so who cares!!

Posted in Chunky, Cold

Manush’s Legendary Summer Soup

Posted by SoupAdmin on August 2, 2009

My great aunt, Manush, came to this country from Armenia in 1915. When entering the country at Ellis Island, she encountered some trouble with the immigration officials. She spoke no English, and things were getting heated. Finally, she somehow convinced them to let her make them some soup. I know, random. Just go with it. They went into the Ellis Island kitchen. Thankfully, one of the guards had brought in some items from his CSA delivery – zucchini, potatoes, onions, and cilantro. She grabbed a few other items and whipped together this soup. Thankfully, she had remembered to bring her immersion blender over from Armenia, as the one they had at the kitchen was quite sub-par. She served some of them the hot version, and some of them the cold one. The immigration officials were so overwhelmed by the soup’s taste, they let her into the country, and hired her right away to be the Ellis Island chef. I don’t like to brag, but if you’ve ever heard about the legend of Manush, the Ellis Island chef – that was my great aunt. Pretty cool, huh?

Posted in Cold, Pureed

Souperpapa’s Papa Al Pomodoro Soup

Posted by SoupAdmin on August 2, 2009

Last month, I went to visit Souperpapa in his small village, Soupany, located in the heart of Tuscany. I packed my backpack, walking stick, some water, a few tomatoes, and a Luna Bar, and climbed up the hill to his little cottage. “Souperpapa,” I said. “I need a fabulous summer soup. One that captures the essence of the wonderful summer flavors at the farmer’s markets in Washington, DC. A soup that can be served hot or room temperature! Help me!” Souperpapa grunted in reply. He doesn’t speak any English so that’s really the extent of our verbal communication. Anyway, he took my tomatoes, and then went into the garden, grabbed some basil, a few pieces of garlic, and an onion. He pulled a piece of rustic bread from his shelf, along with his olive oil. He grunted again. I took his grunt to mean, “This is all you need. Your people will love this soup. The aromas are amazing. It is simple, yet delicious. I seduced your Soupermama (not to be confused with Soupermom) with this soup back in 1952. That was quite a summer, but that’s a story for another time. Anyway, this soup is my absolute favorite. Also, you should make it when you do chef’s demos at farmer’s markets around DC. People will love it and will order lots of it. Trust me on this one.” Wow, after that what else could I do? And no, I don’t think I’m reading too much into his grunts.