Three Potato Soup With Rouille
A Beautiful Bowl Of Soup by Paulette Mitchell is one of the cookbooks I refer to regularly. This book is a collection of amazing soups that fit all seasons. Chunky or creamy, dumplings or dessert, hot or cold, this book has it all. The recipes call for simple ingredients, which when put together in a single pot, works like magic. Well, that’s what soups are, one pot wonders.
I set out to try a soup from this book, which interestingly calls for three types of potatoes. But what drew me toward this recipe was the topping – Rouille. A sauce, which means rust in French, is typically served with fish soup or Bouillabaisse. It is made with breadcrumbs and saffron or red pepper for colour. I was bowled over by how creamy it was. If you like aioli, then this sauce (more of a paste) is a must try. The fresh garlic explodes once it touches the hot broth and the sauce melts turning the soup chunky to slightly creamy. Rouille is as tasty and creamy as aioli, but without the calories from mayonnaise.
RouilleIngredientsBread crumbs – ¼ cupRoasted red pepper – ¼ cup
Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tbsp
Fresh red chilli – 1, minced
Lemon juice – 2 tsp
Capers – 1 tsp
Garlic – 1 clove
Salt
Take bread crumbs in a bowl and sprinkle a tbsp of water. You can also use the water from the jarred roasted bell pepper. Mix well, until it is crumbly and not soggy. Blend the crumbs with the rest of the ingredients given above, without adding extra water. Blend till smooth and set aside to allow the flavours to blend.
SoupIngredientsYukon gold potato – 1, ½ inch diceRed potato – 1, ½ inch dice
Sweet potato – 1, ½ inch dice
Onion – 1, chopped
Garlic – 2 cloves, minced
Saffron – ¼ tsp, crushed
Better than bouillon – 1 tbsp or 1 bouillon cube
Tomato – 2, chopped
Carrot – 1, ½ inch dice
Green chilli – 2, slit lengthwise
Chinese celery or Celery + Parsley/Cilantro – ½ cup, finely chopped
Oil – 1 tbsp
SaltMethod
Soak saffron threads in a tbsp of hot water. In a large pot, heat oil, and sauté onion and garlic, until soft. Add all the other ingredients except Chinese celery along with 4 cups of water. If using celery, add now, but reserve parsley for garnish.
Cover and let the pot simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Remove green chillies, stir in Chinese celery or parsley, and check for seasoning.
To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl and dollop rouille on top.
This is my entry to Potato Fe(a)st, hosted by Dhivya Karthik of Culinary Bazaar. This bowl also goes to No Croutons Required hosted by Lisa at Lisa's Kitchen and Holler at Tinned Tomatoes. No Croutons Required is a new monthly soup and salad challenge.
