I'm Not the Only ABP Soup Mixer

On most work days, my lunch consists of a bowl of soup and a multi-grain roll at the Au Bon Pain (ABP) outlet across the street from my office. I love soup, especially during the cold-weather months.

But I have a confession to make: I'm a soup-mixer. From time to time, I will mix one type of soup with another. Usually, this means mixing a thicker, cream-based soup with something a little lower in fat (i.e., mixing chicken gumbo with chicken noodle). Obviously, there are some soups that are so different that they can't be mixed together -- or at least I'd never want to combine them because the resulting soup would be much too bizarre.

Anyway, I had assumed that I was just about the only person who occasionally mixed soups, but I recently found out that wasn't so. The manager at the ABP told me that it's not all that unusual for customers to fill their soup bowls halfway with one soup and then fill it the rest of the way with another.

Hearing that made me feel a little less weird. I suspect the manager occasionally does so himself because he suggested a few soups worth mixing.

Dreaming of Avgolemono

Just yesterday, I passed a newly opened Greek restaurant at 17th and K Streets in Washington, D.C. It's called Kellari Taverna, and here's a Zagat interview of Kellari's owner. It's an upscale restaurant with a virtually all-seafood menu (which, combined with the recession, may pose a challenge to its success).

Anyway, I stopped to peek inside. Very handsome decor. Then I read the restaurant's menu, which was posted outside.

My eyes immediately stopped at the word Avgolemono, a pale yellow soup made with lemon and chicken stock that sure warms you up on a chilly evening. I've always enjoyed eating that soup, but it is not an item that every Greek restaurant prepares. As far as I'm concerned, Avgolemono is Greek for "comfort food." I still have fond memories of the first time I ordered Avgolemono. It was at a Greek restaurant in Chicago.

Once I got home, I went online and started looking for Avgolemono recipes. They aren't easy to find.

I found this article on the website Serious Eats, which is accompanied by a recipe. The egg yolk addition looks a bit tricky. I've made Bearnaise sauce before so I know I'm capable of doing it, but there's simply no margin for error when it comes to incorporating egg yolks into a hot dish.

Maybe I'll try it sometime. Better yet, maybe I'll just let the chef at Kellari make it for me.

Carrot-Orange Soup

On a hot summer day, chilled soups sure hit the spot. And here's one that I adapted from a recipe found in The Silver Palate Cookbook.

It's a healthy soup, and it's so easy to make -- even people who aren't crazy about carrots are almost sure to like it because of the orange flavor and the slight sweetness.

By the way, this soup can be made ahead. In fact, it will taste better if you make it ahead because that gives the flavors time to meld.

CARROT-ORANGE SOUP (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. of raw carrots
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of Tropicana or other premium orange juice
• 1/4 cup of low-sodium, non-fat chicken broth
• Zest from a navel orange
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon of onion salt
• 1 tablespoon of Cointreau or Triple Sec (optional)
• Fresh mint and/or creme fraiche for garnish
• Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
  

Directions:

1. Peel the carrots and then cut them into smaller sticks. Drop them in a large saucepan or pot of water -- bring it to a boil on the stove over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to a steady simmer. Carrots are ready when the largest stick can be easily pierced with a small kitchen knife.

2. Drain and set carrots aside for a moment. Add the butter to the now-empty saucepan and turn the heat on low until the butter melts. Then turn the burner off.

3. Place cooked carrots in a large electric blender. Add the orange juice, chicken broth, orange zest, ground ginger and sugar. Turn the blender on the high or "puree" setting.

4. Once the soup ingredients are fully integrated in a puree, pour this soup mixture back into the saucepan or pot. Stir thoroughly so that the soup base and butter are well integrated. Then add the onion salt and stir it more. Feel free to add a little more orange juice if you prefer a thinner consistency.

5. Add the Cointreau or another orange-flavored spirit to the soup. Stir thoroughly and then place it in the refrigerator.

6. Serve the soup chilled with fresh mint and a small dollop of creme fraiche that has been sprinkled with fresh nutmeg.