Get Cooking: 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen (7 page)

caramelized balsamic–red onion soup with cheese-topped croutons

Makes 6 servings

T
ry this sweeter, simpler take on traditional French onion soup, topped with toasted cheese croutons. You can use any kind of mustard—Dijon, spicy brown, or even plain old yellow. Make the croutons while the soup is simmering, so everything can be ready at about the same time.

1.
Place a soup pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Toss in the butter, if desired, and swirl until it melts into the oil.

2.
Stir in the onions and salt, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally (and more often as the onions darken), for about 30 minutes, or until the onions become deep golden brown and very soft.

3.
Add the vinegar, soy sauce, and mustard, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer.

4.
Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat all the way down to the lowest possible setting, partially cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

5.
Season with black pepper, then ladle the soup into bowls. Top each steaming bowlful with a crouton, and serve right away.

cheese-topped croutons

You can make these with any kind of Swiss cheese, but the flavor will be much better if you use one of the higher-end ones, like Gruyère or Emmentaler. (And if you don’t have any of these cheeses handy, you can use bleu cheese, or any grating cheese with assertive flavor.) This works well with day-old bread, so it’s a great way to use up what’s left of a baguette.

1.
Preheat the oven or a toaster oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with foil.

2.
Arrange the bread slices on the prepared tray. Place the tray in the center of the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or until the bread is lightly toasted. (Keep an eye on it, so it doesn’t burn.)

3.
Remove the tray from the oven, and change the setting to “broil.” Divide the grated cheese evenly among the tops of the toasts. Then place the tray under the broiler for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese melts and is just beginning to turn brown. (Again, pay close attention.) Remove the tray from the broiler and set it aside until you’re ready to serve the soup.

creamy tomato-basil soup with parmesan fricos

Makes 4 servings

I
magine the flavor of grilled cheese and tomato soup—all in a single bowl. This super-easy soup is all about tomato flavor. And the fun little Parmesan Fricos add a cheesy crunch that takes the whole thing over the top. Some canned tomatoes are saltier than others, so start by adding the ½ teaspoon salt, then taste the soup and see if you think it needs more. Make sure you have prepared some Roasted Garlic Paste ahead of time.

1.
Combine the tomatoes, garlic paste, basil, and milk in a soup pot or a Dutch oven, and place it over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and then immediately turn the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool for a few minutes.

2.
Use a blender or immersion blender (see Chapter 1: Soups) to purée the soup until it is smooth.

3.
Heat the soup gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is hot but not boiling.

4.
Season with the salt and black pepper to taste. Serve with Parmesan Fricos on the side.

GET YOUR FRICO ON

Once you master the simple technique of frico-making, you’ll find all kinds of uses for them. They’re great with soups, they’re a nice alternative to chips, and you can serve them with olives and salami and call it an antipasto platter. They also make a perfect garnish for Caesar Salad (Chapter 2: Salads) in addition to, or in place of, the traditional croutons. To make them, you’ll need the kind of grated Parmesan that’s shredded, not powdered. You can buy it pre-grated or make your own from a piece of cheese, using the medium holes of a grater. If you’re DIY-inclined, you might enjoy playing with different frico sizes and shapes. You can make them huge, or shape them by draping them inside cups, around a rolling pin, or whatever else you think of, as soon as they come out of the pan. As they cool, they’ll keep that shape, and then you can fill them with a little salad or just use them as an extra-cool garnish.

parmesan fricos

1.
Set a large skillet over medium heat. Drop 1-tablespoon heaps of Parmesan directly in the pan, and working fairly quickly, use the back of a spoon to spread each heap into a round of cheese about 3½ inches in diameter. (They should look lacy, with a bit of the pan showing through between the shreds.) Make sure to leave a little space in between fricos, so you’ll have room to get in there with your spatula.

2.
Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the underside is golden and stays stiff when prodded. When the top surface of the cheese goes from melty to somewhat dry looking, the fricos are ready to flip. Use a thin-bladed metal spatula to turn them over gently, and cook on the second side for about 2 minutes, or until golden and crisp all over. Transfer to a rack or platter to cool and finish crisping.

cuban black bean soup

Makes 4 to 5 servings

R
eal, hearty black bean soup with a tangy edge of lime can be yours in under an hour (most of which is just the soup simmering while you do something else). The silver bullet here is canned beans, which, generally speaking, are perfect for soups and simmered dishes. To make a heartier meal, serve this soup spooned over rice.

1.
Place a soup pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and cumin, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion softens.

2.
Add the bell pepper, garlic, and salt, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.

3.
Meanwhile, set a colander in the sink and pour in the beans; give them a quick rinse and allow them to drain.