White Bean Soup with Red Pepper Coulis
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Cooking time: 90 minutes (with break) for menu Cooking schedule: see below for "menu" instructions |
With two big, wonderful (expensive) meals coming up we're taking it a bit easy - both on the diet and on the labor. The soup is quick, even with the Red Pepper Coulis; the Veal Marengo can sit and simmer for hours or be ready in 1 1/2. It could be made early in the day and reheated. It's easy! Considering the vegetables in the soup and the Marengo, we are not doing another veg.
White Bean Soup with Red Pepper Coulis Time: 25 minutes
1 shallot
1 tbs olive oil
1 can 15 oz white beans (450 gr)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp thyme
Red Pepper Coulis
Chop shallot. Drain and rinse beans. Heat oil in medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until transparent. Add beans, chicken stock and thyme, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Remove 1/4 cup of chicken stock and puree the rest, either in blender or with wand blender. Check for consistency, add as much of the removed stock as you like (or more) to get desired consistency. This is a personal thing, mon mari likes soup very thick, my mother very thin.... Reheat if needed.
To serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Carefully drizzle 2 tbs of Red Pepper Coulis in a pattern or all in the center and use a warm knife to draw a pattern. It should float on top of the soup. Serve.
Red Pepper Coulis Time: 25 minutes
1 red pepper no need to peel
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tbs tomato paste
Clean pepper and cut into big pieces. Sauté shallot in olive oil in a small saucepan until tender. Add pepper chunks, thyme and chicken stock. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until pepper is very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree, using as much chicken stock as needed to make a thick sauce. Add tomato paste and mix well. Use 4 tbs for the soup.
Note: I'm using the rest of the Red Pepper Coulis in the risotto on Sunday. If you are not making the risotto, add the coulis to mashed white beans or chickpeas for Red Pepper Hummus party dip!
Veal Marengo Time: 90 minutes
This can be cooked in the 90 minutes allotted or left to simmer for a couple of hours if that works into your schedule better. You can serve it over gnocchi, pasta or egg noodles. I'm using pasta. Unlike a lot of Italian sauces, this is very light on tomatoes, just enough for some flavor.
1 lb veal, suitable for braising - stew meat, shoulder, whatever the butcher suggests
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs tomato paste
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bouquet garni
1 tsp dried thyme
10 - 12 small shallots or 4 - 6 large ones
4 oz mushrooms - whatever looks good
1 tbs butter
2 - 3 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 3 tbs chicken stock
Cut veal into 1 1/2 inch (3.75cm) cubes. Mince or crush garlic. In a deep, heavy pan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the veal and brown on all sides. Add garlic, tomato paste, stock, wine, bouquet garni and thyme and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes. Peel shallots. Clean mushrooms (see techniques). If mushrooms are large cut in half or quarters. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté another 5 minutes, stirring often. After the veal has simmered for 45 minutes add the shallots and mushrooms and simmer another 30 minutes or until vegetables are done. With a slotted spoon remove the meat and vegetables to a serving dish. Cover to keep warm. Turn the heat to medium-high under the sauce. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir and add to the sauce a little at a time until thickened to your liking. Pour over the meat and vegetables and serve over the gnocchi or pasta.
Pasta Time: 25 minutes
1 1/2 cups penne or egg noodles or gnocchi for two
Cook according to package directions. Drain and put into a large bowl. Pour Veal Marengo over and serve.
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Cooking Schedule: 90 minutes with break |
Add shallots and mushrooms to veal, simmer |
Cooking for Two? Or more?
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