Go to the Recipe: How to Go From Fresh Ingredients to Flavorful Soups—Fast
I'd be curious to see how any of these soups, as leftovers, would be cold, straight from the fridge. If the flavor is there, it'd be perfect to make extra for a hot summer day.
That snap pea soup is rough. The beet soup though, is really good
Hi Brian! Could you give me a little more on what you mean by the pea soup being rough? Glad you liked the beet soup!
Sometimes snap peas need to have a rib removed and/or the top stem. Straining is always an option to make smoother. Blending for at least two minutes is key as well.
Good morning:
The flavor of the soup tastes like the ingredients were afterthoughts. Think a flat soda that has been watered down. I will give this a go at some pint in time, but i think the stock/water amount, compared to the rest of the ingredients, is unbalanced. andhe sunflower seeds add a bizarre flavour that, with the rest of the soup, is unpleasant.
This recipe may just not appeal to me, not everyone can be happy with everything.
Hi,
I am just a lowly amateur cook so please go easy on me. But I am a perfectionist and love trying out new cooking techniques. Long-time food-lover, ChefSteps subscriber, and Joule user.
I have to disagree with the detractors. The minted snap pea soup is maybe one of the best soups I've ever tasted. I do not exaggerate when I say this article changed my culinary life. I used to simmer my soups for hours thinking that would make for better flavor, but it was always a disappointment. And I would always LOAD them up with butter and cream in an attempt to get better flavor. The idea that you barely cook the veggies and add nuts instead of cream/butter were the game-changers for me. I never knew making soup would be so quick and easy. 15 minutes from start to finish, and the flavor really highlights the main ingredients. So far I have made the minted snap pea and the spinach soup. Can't wait to try the technique on butternut squash soup.
Served the mint pea soup to my best bud, and he said that it was restaurant quality and perhaps the best soup he ever tasted. NOTE: I used chicken stock for both soups. It is a must to drizzle (a small amount of) lemon juice on both soups. it adds a bright dimension. The minted pea soup also tasted great cold.
Another winner article ChefSteps. Thank you!
Minted Pea soup tasted great cold, in my less-than-professional opinion. On a hot day I would serve in a chilled cup. Definitely drizzle the lemon juice but not too much. A little adds a lot. Cheers
I am in compete agreement with Robin, this soup is nothing close to being "rough" but to each their own tastes. I would make this again, and serve it as a tasting course. Thank you again Chefsteps for another winning recipe.
CS, would there be any advantage as far as smoothness if we hydrated the cashews overnight (a la faux gras recipe)?
Soaking nuts and seeds will improve texture and bioavailability every time. While cashews seem to be the outlier and will blend smooth without soaking with enough water and friction.
Made a lovely Spinach & Watercress soup.
Did end up soaking the cashews. Used Chicken Better than Bouillon, which gave it a contasting meaty quality, although perhaps too much, so might use vegetable stock next time. The juice of half a lemon was nice (1X recipe volume). Maybe try a bit of xanthan gum next time to make it a tad thicker.
