Soup base
3 quarts
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | tablespoons | Olive oil |
| 2 | mediums | Onions; coarsely diced |
| 2 | mediums | Carrots; coarsely diced |
| 1 | Celery stalk; coarsely diced | |
| 2 | Garlic cloves; minced | |
| 3 | quarts | Chicken broth |
Directions
(A Master Recipe for Chunky and Pureed Soup) Heat oil in a large soup kettle. Add onions, carrots and celery. Saut‚ until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saut‚ until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, then add other vegetables and seasoning as you like.
For a chunky vegetable soup, keep the ratio of vegetables to liquid at about one-and-one-quarter pounds per quart, and always include some carrots, onions and celery.
For pureed soups, use a one-half pound of the onion-carrot-celery trinity (Twice as much onions and carrots as celery), one and one-half pounds of the featured vegetable, and one pound of potatoes to one and one-half quarts of liquid.
Note: chilling reduces herbs and spices to dormancy, so use a heavier hand if you're planning a cold soup.
Cook's Illustrated Charter Issue Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 12-23-94