POTATO, PEA AND CARROT CREAM SOUPS – Recipes by Piero Benigni & Mama’s Italian cooking – Autumn is approaching and we all often seek comfort in a nice warm vegetable soup. I present to you three easy and tasty recipes that you and your loved ones will like.
Ingredients for potato cream soup – 2 to 3 people
- 350 gpotatoes (12 oz)
- 150 gonion (5 oz)
- 50 gcelery (1 3/4 oz)
- 50 gcarrot (1 3/4 oz)
- 60 gtomato (2 oz or 2 Tbsp tomato sauce)
- 1 sprigparsley
- 700 mlvegetable broth (3 cups)
- 2 spoonsolive oil
- nutmeg (at taste)
Ingredients for pea cream soup – 2 to 3 people
- 400 gpeas (14 oz, frozen or shelled fresh)
- 120 gpotato (3 oz)
- 60 gonion (2 oz)
- 2 spoonsolive oil
- 750 gvegetable broth (3 cups)
- salt (at taste)
- nutmeg (at taste)
- paprika (at taste)
Ingredients for carrot cream soup – 2 to 3 people
- 400 gcarrot (14 oz)
- 80 gonion (3 oz)
- 80 gpotato (3 oz)
- 750 mlvegetable broth (3 cups)
- 1 sprigparsley
- salt (at taste)
- paprika (at taste)
Tools for the potato, pea and carrot cream soups
- Cooker
- Casserole
- Cover
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Wooden Spoon
- Scale
- Hand Mixer
POTATO CREAM SOUP
Chop carrot, onion, celery, tomato and parsley and put into the casserole with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over low to medium flame. Cover with lid and brown for 10 minutes, stir often and pay attention not tu burn vegetables. Add diced potato and broth, cover and simmer for 25 more minutes. Stir from time to time. Turn-off flame, ground some nutmeg and combine with the hand mixer until a cream is obtained. Taste and adjust salting. I suggest to serve with diced toast, some parsley and black pepper. Whipping or sour cream if you like, same for some browned bacon as in photo.
PEA CREAM SOUP
Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into the casserole, put over a low to medium flame, add chopped onion. Brown for 10 minutes, stir often, pay attention not to burn it. Add diced potato end frozen peas, pour broth, cover with lid and simmer for 20 more minutes or until both are tender. Stir from time to time. Turn off flame, ground some nutmeg and combine with hand mixer until a cream is obtained. Taste and adjust salting. I suggest to serve the soup with diced toast, a drizzle of olive oil and some paprika, sweet or hot at your taste.
CARROT CREAM SOUP
Put casserole over a mild flame. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil, add chopped onion, brown for 10 minutes. Stir often and pay attention not to burn it. Add chopped potato and carrot, pour broth, cover with lid and simmer for 20 minutes or until both are tender. Stir from time to time. Turn off flame, ground some nutmeg, combine with hand mixer until a cream is obtained. Taste and adjust salting. I suggest to serve with a drizzle of olive oil, spread parsley or chive and some paprika, sweet or hot at your taste.
FINAL NOTES
– When the soup is done, it is still hot. Remember that it thickens when at serving temperature. You can anyway return to the stove if too thin or add some broth if too thick. All soups can be served lukewarm, even cold in summer.
– They keep 2 days in the fridge and can be frozen, with a 3 months shelf life.
HOW TO TOAST BREAD DICES OR STICKS
Better to use farm type bread. If unavailable, use white sandwich bread. Dice or cut in sticks and toast in a small skillet with really a little olive oil until brown. In the picture some bacon strips are also being browned.
