Joanna Pruess - Soup for Every Body: Low-Carb, High-Protein, Vegetarian, and More

I could not have chosen a better time than this past winter to write a book about soup. With far more than the average amounts of snow on the ground, and glacial winds often howling outside, I never minded the ever-present pots of soups simmering on my stove. They perfumed my house and brought new and old friends to my kitchen.

These months also permitted me to recall many happy memories about soups shared with friends and family over the years. Thank you Jay Cassell for coming over for a bowl of corn and shrimp chowder and then letting me gather my favorite soup recipes and memories into a book.

While the weather kept me indoors, Im indebted to many intrepid friends and colleagues who willingly braved the elements to come by and check on my progress. Their suggestions and encouragement were invaluable.

Some of my most loyal supporters included Rick and Charlie Waln; Marcie Sweigert, Darien and John Zoppo; Mimi Nelson, Judy Weinstock, Charlie and Eva Gerard: Janet Jussel; Erica Loutsch and my dear neighbor, Marie Lieto. There were also the loyal members of the Soup Club, especially Bebe and Norman Isaacs, Linda Gallagher, and Judy Donovan who eagerly asked what soup I was cooking, week after week.

My friends Sally and Gene Kofke were, as always, a wonderfully receptive audience and discriminating samplers.

Additionally, Im grateful to Pamela Harding for her thoughtful suggestions for beverages to drink with soups and her astute suggestions for the manuscript.

Lauren Braun, your wisdom and insight gave this book the factual information and credibility it needed to help everyone more fully enjoy soups. Thanks for laughing while still plodding forward.

The group at Liesa Cole Photography brought my soups to life and Leanna Weller Smiths design perfected my vision.

Finally, I am grateful to Ann Treistman, my extraordinary editor at Lyons Press for her wisdom, enthusiasm, attention to detail, and patience with my many questions. You and your team, particularly Larry Dorfman and copyeditor Jane Crosen, did so much to make this book more than a collection of soup recipes.

People often say they are confused about the appropriate drink to serve with soups. Like most food-wine pairings, I think personal preference should play a large part in the choice. In reality, a broad variety of drinks partner well with soupsincluding wine, sherry and other fortified wines, cider, beer, some teas and, of course, water. If you are willing to experiment, you may be pleasantly surprised at how exciting these pairings can be.

That being said, what follows are some personal guidelines that I hope youll find helpful.

For starters, I think about the flavor and texture of a soup and generally hold with a like takes to like approach. For example, if a soup is prepared with red wine or is meaty, such as Russian Cabbage & Beef Borscht, it seems natural to serve a robust red wine. While the choices are vast, including reasonably priced bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, and Merlot from many countries, remember that inferior-tasting wines used in cooking never improve in taste nor flatter the other ingredients.

Spicy soups made with ingredients like chorizo or kielbasa also need a sturdy, spicy complement, such as a good Rhone or Shiraz. Many of the South African reds that recently have become available here really flatter the smoky flavors of ham, sausage, and bacon.

For soups with cheese, such as those made with Gruyre or Emmenthaler, a lighter red, like Beaujolais, is appealing. Or try an Alsatian Pinot Blanc with earthy, complex flavors and lighter body.

When a recipe calls for dry white wine, such as Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Marinated Tofu, again its logical to serve the same wine. I often pair California Sauvignon Blanc or French Entre-deux-Mers with light vegetable-based soups. Fresh, slightly tingly but complex-tasting Spanish Albarios are a wonderful complement to light fish soups, especially those with grilled shellfish.

In Cotriade, the Breton fish soup, Muscadet is used in the recipe because its made in the Loire Valley, which is relatively close to Brittany. Wines from the same or a nearby region are often quite suitable partners for drinking with the soup. This holds true with other spirits as well (see below). However, since no wines are produced in Brittany, you might well serve a very dry cider with this soup. The Bretons often drink it with local fish dishes.

Austrian Grner Veltliners take well to smooth, fragrant, pale-colored soups. These white wines tend to have nice floral aromas, a full-bodied taste with enough tart acidity to cut through creamy soups and a spicy finish. I love how they accentuate herbs and, in Sauted Salsify Soup, the white truffle oil used as a final drizzle.

Velout of Cauliflower, like many creamy preparations, needs a wine with legs and probably some oak, like a wonderful French white Burgundy or well-balanced California Chardonnay. A non-oaky Chardonnay would go with a fish fumet base, as well. Or, you might think of fum blanc.

For very fresh, light, chilled soups that are yogurt or buttermilk based, from a Dilled Cream of Yellow & Green Squash Soup to Peach Soup with Blueberries, choose a light wine with a bit of spritz or an outright sparkler, like Spanish Cava or even a dry Prosecco.

If you add cubes of foie gras to Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Bacon, a rich Sauternes would be a sensational partnership. For an informing ingredient like lobster, or even crab, that has a hint of sweetness and a rich quality, Id also choose a sweeter wine, perhaps a nice German Riesling.

For well-spiced soups that are prepared with white wine and include tomatoes, such as Cioppino or Mediterranean Fish Soup, I think the flavors, body, and texture of the soups call for a light red wine. Similarly, some rich chicken-stock-based soups pair nicely with reds, too.

Red wines also make good drinking partners with red soups. Chilled Summer Tomato Soup with Diced Vegetables & Basil Cream is a gazpacho-inspired chilled soup with hints of southern France. Why not try chilled Beaujolais? For Roasted Red Peppers & Paprika Soup, a Spanish Tempranillo or Italian Chianti could be the answer.

But wines arent the only answer for what to drink with soups. I think sherries are unsung and very versatile as a beverage complementing a wide range of soups. If you have a seafood preparation emphasizing fresher flavors and not a rich, creamy base, go with a Manzanilla or even Fino sherry. Shellfish soup with a roasted quality, like Tomato Bisque with Shrimp, might pair with an Amontillado.

Anything with a caramelized aspectfor example, either Roasted Parsnip Soup with Diced Fennel or Hearty Onion Soupgoes nicely with an Amontillado or Oloroso sherry. As for Pumpkin Black Bean Soup, the final stir of sherry in the soup simply demands that a small glass of the same be served at table. However, most bean soups could use a red wine complement, I think, and a sturdy one.

A little Madeira with oxtail soup is a classic. The fortified wine similarly works magic in Winter Chestnut Soup with Duck Confit and other rich game soups.

Staying off wine for a minute, other beverages I find useful as ingredients for soups include dry French ciders in cheese and fruit-based soups, and sweet cider, particularly with root vegetables. Youll find them as a base in Wild Mushroom Soup with Sage, Dried Apples & Hazelnuts and Sweet Potato, Caramelized Onion & Apple Cider Soup. I serve them as a beverage as well. Sweet cider is also a nice complement to some creamy dessert soups.