This soup is made with fresh spring ingredients like zucchini, fresh green peas (you can use frozen too), and wild garlic, which I am a huge fan of. Homegrown herbs like cilantro, mint and parsley and lemon, add the brightness to this soup, along with an earthiness from freshly ground cumin and coriander. Finish off with lemony crème fraiche and garnishes to give it a French bistro look that is sure to please both the eyes and the palate!
Zucchini, Green Peas, And Wild Garlic Soup With Smoked Cheddar And Fontina Toasts
This soup is made with fresh spring ingredients like zucchini, fresh green peas (you can use frozen too), and wild garlic, which I am a huge fan of. Homegrown herbs like cilantro, mint and parsley and lemon, add the brightness to this soup, along with an earthiness from freshly ground cumin and coriander. Finish off with lemony crème fraiche and garnishes to give it a French bistro look that is sure to please both the eyes and the palate!
Ingredients
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1 teaspoon cumin seeds
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1 teaspoon coriander seeds
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1/ 4 cup (54 grams) La Tourangelle Grapeseed Oil
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1 medium (190 grams) red onion, coarsely chopped
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2 wild garlic stalks (90 grams), coarsely chopped
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2 1/ 2 teaspoons (15 grams) salt
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2 teaspoons ground black pepper
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3 medium zucchini (500 grams), sliced vertically in half, cut into 1/2-inch slices horizontally
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10 ounces (284 grams) fresh or frozen peas
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1/ 4 cup (8 grams) fresh parsley, finely chopped
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1/ 4 cup (8 grams) cilantro, finely chopped
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3 sprigs fresh mint
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4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable stock
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Zest of 1 lemon
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Juice of 1/2 lemon
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1/ 4 cup (60 grams) heavy cream
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2 tablespoons crème fraîche
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1 teaspoon lemon juice
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1/ 2 zucchini, thinly sliced vertically
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A few fresh peas
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End of wild garlic bulb, thinly sliced horizontally
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Edible flowers, for garnish
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Sprigs of cilantro, for garnish
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1/ 2 cup La Tourangelle Grapeseed Oil
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8 1 1/2-inch thick slices sourdough bread
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2/ 3 cup (70 grams) smoked cheddar, freshly grated
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1/ 2 cup (50 grams) fontina, freshly grated
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Coarse black pepper
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Flaky sea salt
Soup:
Garnish:
Smoked Cheddar and Fontina Toasts:
Directions
Soup:
Place the cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring them occasionally, for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until you start getting the aroma of the seeds. They will brown slightly as well. Remove from the heat. Let cool. Place in a mortar and coarsely grind the seeds with a pestle. You can also use a coffee grinder to grind it to a finer consistency.
Heat La Tourangelle Grapeseed Oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add onions, and cook for 5 minutes. Add wild garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
Add the toasted cumin, coriander, salt and pepper, stirring until combined. Add the zucchini and peas, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the herbs and stir until combined. Add the vegetable stock, lemon zest and lemon juice and bring to a boil, simmer for about 10 minutes. Add heavy cream and simmer for another minute.
Remove from heat. Add soup to a high-speed blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into the same pot, then divide into individual soup bowls.
In a small bowl, combine the crème fraiche and lemon juice. Add small dollops into each bowl, using a toothpick make patterns of 8 to create an abstract pattern.
Garnish with zucchini ribbons, green peas, wild garlic slices, flowers and cilantro. Serve with the Smoked Cheddar and Fontina Toasts!
Smoked Cheddar and Fontina Toasts:
Using a pastry brush, brush one side of bread generously with La Tourangelle Grapeseed Oil. In a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium to low heat, grill toasts, oil-side down, for about 3 to 4 minutes until brown. Brush La Tourangelle Grapeseed Oil on top of toasts. Flip and cook the other side for about 3 minutes.
Preheat broiler. Place toasts on a baking sheet and top with cheese. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is melted, making sure they do not burn. Sprinkle with black pepper and flaky sea salt.