Basic Cream Soup and Variations
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetables fresh, coarsely chopped ⓘ
- 4 tablespoons flour, all-purpose ⓘ
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups light cream (half&half) ⓘ
- 5 tablespoons butter ⓘ
- 1 x salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 cups cauliflower florets ⓘ
- 1 x paprika ⓘ
- 5 cups broccoli florets ⓘ
- 1 pinch nutmeg or two ⓘ
- 4 cups cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced ⓘ
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 cups lima beans ⓘ
- 4 tablespoons bacon crisply fried and crumbled
- 4 cups spinach coarsely chopped ⓘ
- 2 each egg yolks hard cooked ⓘ
Instructions
- Peel the vegetable, if necessary, and chop coarsely.
- Place in a saucepan with 3 cups of the stock.
- Cook over medium heat until the vegetable is tender.
- Set aside 1/2 cup choice pieces of cooked vegetables to use as a garnish.
- Puree the remaining cooked vegetable together with the vegetable water in an electric blender, or press through a strainer.
- Melt the butter in a soup kettle, blend in the flour, and stir in the cream.
- Simmer over a low flame, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the pureed vegetable and the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock, and simmer for 3 minutes more.
- Adjust the seasonings and serve in individual bowls garnished with the reserved cooked vegetable.
- Serve hot or cold.
- Cream of Cauliflower Soup: Prepare soup as directed in basic cream soup.
- Garnish with reserved cauliflower and a sprinkle of paprika.
- Serve hot or cold.
- Cream Of Broccoli Soup: Peel the stems and break broccoli into flowerets.
- Slice the stems.
- Proceed as directed in basic cream soup recipe.
- Serve with nutmeg sprinkled on top.
- Cream Of Cucumber Soup: Reserve 1/2 cup diced raw cucumber to use as a garnish.
- Cook remaining cucumber for 8 minutes.
- Proceed as directed in basic cream soup recipe.
- Serve hot or cold with a dollop of sour cream in the center of each bowl.
- Cream Of Lima Bean Soup: Prepare soup as directed in basic cream soup recipe but do not reserve any lima beans.
- Serve hot, garnished with crumbled bacon.
- Cream Of Spinach Soup: Prepare soup as directed in basic cream soup recipe, but do not reserve any spinach.
- Serve hot or cold, garnished with hard-cooked egg yolks forced through a fine sieve.
- Cream Of Asparagus Soup: Prepare soup as directed in basic cream soup recipe.
- Garnish with reserved asparagus tips and Pumpernickel croutons.
- Serve hot or cold.
Nutrition & Diet Analysis (per serving)
770
kcal
39% DV
Protein
Fat
Carbs
* % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (FDA 2020).