Soup – Volpi Foods

Italian Wedding Soup

Hashtag Labs — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 21:14:33 +0000

Italian wedding soup is safe for even confirmed singles to consume. It is not known to elicit spontaneous proposals. Phew! The name derives from the Italian for “married soup” (minestra maritata), but they meant the marriage of meat and vegetables, not the romantic kind of union. It’s wielded by Italian nonne (grandmothers) and zie (aunts) at special occasions, festive dinners, Christmas, and the like. While it’s not necessarily a love potion, there is something pretty amorous about meatballs.

New England Clam Chowder

Hashtag Labs — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:20:50 +0000

There may be no better example of a food that defines the heart and soul of a region the way New England clam chowder does. Born of rugged surroundings and raised in simplicity, it’s a bowl of heft, community, and culture. (Not to mention tender clams and salty, fatty pork bits.) One ladle of the briny, creamy broth and you’ll be booking a trip to the rocky northern coast in no time.

Gazpacho

Hashtag Labs — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 13:40:43 +0000

Drink your salad. Hailing from the Spanish region of Andalusia, gazpacho originally was made from garlic, olive oil, almonds, and stale bread. But over time and geographical shifts, it morphed into the tomato-based summer vegetable soup we can’t get enough of when the garden is bursting and the nights are warm. For the best flavor, let it chill for several hours or up to a day or two. If you’re impatient and must serve it immediately, throw a couple of ice cubes into the blender along with the gazpacho. It’s sort of cheating, but when it’s hot outside, you do what you have to do. A little toasted garlic-rubbed crusty bread turns this into a light meal.

Chilled Cucumber, Herb and Buttermilk Soup

studio2108 — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 14:42:39 +0000

Chilled cucumber and buttermilk soup is a rite of fancified summer lunches. Packed full of herb-y greenness and the refreshing coolness of cucumber, there’s also a hint of serrano chile, just enough to give you a kick and command your attention.

Diamond Vol au Vents (Puff Pastry Shell)

studio2108 — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 13:00:07 +0000

It’s high brow meets low brow. If you’re a fan of soup in a bread bowl, you’ll dig this throwback fancy diamond-shaped puff pastry vessel filled with any kind of stew for a savory application, or filled with sweet, macerated fruit and topped with whipped cream. It’s a fun thing to make to impress your friends, your boss or, well, anyone.

Use one of your favorite store-bought stews for the filling, or even better, try one of ours. (See our Beef Stew, Vegetable Curry Stew, or Skillet Chicken Pot Pie stew).

Clam and Daikon Radish Restorative Soup

studio2108 — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 13:19:47 +0000

Moody Mondays: March is a tricky month. She teases us with milder days, only to turn arctic again the next. You may want to put away the puffer jacket, but don’t put away this soup recipe. Most cultures have a soup that’s widely accepted to have the power to restore body and soul, and usually, most of the magic is credited to grandmas. The Chinese have been simmering soothing soups for centuries, utilizing the same ingredients found in their ancient medicines. Things like goji berries, ginger, and daikon radish are believed to strengthen the immune system and battle what ails you. The goji berries are also rich in beta carotene and antioxidants. This version is a Taiwanese healing soup, with a touch of brine from the clams, and it’s pretty traditional. Well, until we added Coppa, but come on! It’s perfect with the clams! You can put this together in almost no time on any weeknight you’re dragging.

Creamy Vegetable Curry

studio2108 — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 13:44:38 +0000

Moody Mondays: When the view out of the window is of a bleak frozen tundra (be it urban or suburban) and has been seemingly forever, it’s time for a warming curry. Creamy, coconut-y, and as spicy as you want it to be, this rich curry leans on an Indian spice blend and is packed with easy-to-find vegetables that cook down into a lush stew. It’s bright and colorful and looks as good as it tastes spooned over steamed basmati rice. Dial the heat up or down depending on how moody you are, and turn up the tunes. This is a moment you’ll want to curate. Just be careful with the turmeric; it’s loaded with health benefits but stains everything it touches a bright, fluorescent yellow.

Leek and Potato Soup with Frizzled Coppa

studio2108 — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 13:42:29 +0000

Nothing humble about this soup, though it begins modestly enough with onions and potatoes, the humblest members of the veg kingdom. First, we coax deep flavor from the tops of the leeks for the stock. Then we transform cold, hard potatoes into a velvety, buttery puree. Cream is optional, but the frizzled Coppa is not. Enjoy this soup warm on a cool spring day, or serve it chilled as the weather warms. Just call it vichyssoise.

Sweet Potato and Tapioca Soup – Chinese style

studio2108 — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 14:49:00 +0000

Soup for dessert? Categorically, yes. In China, (and other Asian cultures) tapioca is used in both chilled and warm dessert soups. If you’ve never had it, this sweet potato and tapioca soup is a foolproof recipe and a great place to start. We like to serve this one warm because it adds to the comfort and texture of the dish. Taro can be swapped for the sweet potato, but the color of the sweet potato is too vibrant to pass up.

Curried Red Kuri and Chestnut Soup

studio2108 — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 13:45:37 +0000

Soup is great comfort food on a cold Winter day, sure, but only if “comfort” doesn’t too quickly become “boring.” Shake up your options with different, gorgeous ingredients. Find a red Kuri squash at your farmers market or natural food store. The dense, sweet flesh evokes chestnut, so it makes sense to add more of the seasonal favorite. If you can’t find a red Kuri, try a kabocha, butternut, or acorn squash instead. And the spicy kick at the end of this curried red Kuri and chestnut soup will snap you out of any monotonous rut masquerading as “comfort.”