gourmet traveller soup recipes

gourmet traveller

lentil, pancetta and oregano soup

I’ve never been particularly fond of pulses – kidney beans, chickpeas and pinto beans just don’t do it for me. But over the last couple of years I’ve slowly taken to the lentil – delicate puy lentils, lovely with roasted fish and the more rustic brown lentils which are wonderful in soups, taking on all the flavours of their pot-mates. I came across this one day while flipping through Allegra McEvedy ‘s cookbook, and have made it numerous times since. It’s a real winner – wonderfully earthy and packed full of flavour, with a smoky sweetness from the pancetta. Totally satisfying and frugal to boot, if ever there was a reason to love the lentil, this soup is it.

Lentil, Pancetta and Oregano Soup (adapted from the Leon cookbook) serves 4

1 tbsp butter 3 tbsp olive oil 140g (5oz) pancetta, diced 2 carrots, finely chopped 1 1/2 sticks celery, finely chopped 3 bay leaves 1 tsp dried oregano 4 cloves garlic, sliced 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 140g (5oz) brown or green lentils 1 1/2 litre (6 cups) chicken stock

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over a high flame, once hot add the pancetta and fry until crispy and golden. Add the chopped vegetables, then lower the heat slightly to gently cook until tender (about 12-15 minutes).

Once the vegetables have taken on some colour add the bay leaves, oregano and garlic, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the vinegar, tomato paste and the lentils, making sure to give it all a good stir so the lentils are well combined with everything in the pot. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper if desired (I find that I never need to as it’s so tasty as is). Serve in large bowls with some crusty bread, or ladled over a poached egg (which was what I did for lunch with the leftover soup the next day – awesome!).

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~ by gourmettraveller on November 5, 2009.

Posted in RECIPES , Soups Tags: Allegra McEvedy , italian , lentils , leon , oregano , pancetta , soup

7 Responses to “lentil, pancetta and oregano soup”

Mmmm this looks great, perfect for a cold Autumn night :)

My goodness deliciousness. I could use a bowl of that right now actually.

Great soup! Lentils & pancetta are a great combination.

beautiful and hearty, perfect for the season.

looks very inviting, warming & delish…mmmm

This is the perfect comfort soup!

Know what you mean about beans. I have an aversion to letting them soak, even though it’s hardly any effort at all.

I’m going to put some on now – you’ve inspired me.

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Split Pea Soup

By Julia Kramer and Alison Roman

Photography by Danny Kim

If you want to make this split pea soup but you don’t have a ham bone, use two ham hocks instead.

Ingredients

Preparation.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, leeks, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 10–12 minutes. Add potatoes and ham. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are just softened, 8–10 minutes. Add ham bone, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and split peas and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, until peas are very soft and falling apart, 1½–2 hours.

Remove ham bone (along with any meat that is still attached), thyme sprigs, and bay leaves from soup. Add Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper.

Serve soup with sour cream and croutons, if desired.

How would you rate Split Pea Soup?

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Reviews (427)

It was good enough that I would make it again but I think I would reduce if not completely omit the thyme. It seemed overpowering to me in such a mild, meaty soup. I put in two cups of chicken broth and then enough water to cover the top of the ham bone, probably another 3 cups. I did an extra potato as well cause I love potatoes. I love that the onion and leek cook down to virtually nothing.

Amarillo, Texas

I made this last night - it was so delicious and filling! In terms of the water, I think I used around 5-6 cups of water, just like the cook from Indy. I can't wait to dig into the leftovers over the next few days.

Los Angeles, CA

This is really tasty. I used four Lightlife vegan hotdogs chopped up finely instead of ham because I am a vegetarian, and it turned out super smokey/tasty! The recipe isn't clear on how much liquid to add, but I used about 5-6 cups of water with a little bit of vegetable base and added water as the soup simmered to reach my desired consistency.

Indianapolis

The recipe says to "add water to cover" after you put the ham bone, herbs and peas into the pot. I'm planning to make this tomorrow - can't wait to see how it turns out!

Ontario, Canada

Water? Chicken broth? It's going to be hard to get those peas to soften up!

You left out any liquid (water or broth).

Los Angeles

Wow can’t believe there are no reviews for this soup! It is so underrated. I used a ham bone from a honeybaked ham and this recipe is so simple and easy yet so deep in Smokey hammy flavor! It’s a must 🍖🍖🍖

janeappetit

Southern california

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Chicken soup with glazed wild mushrooms and confit egg yolk

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Chicken soup

• 2 chicken legs
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• 4 sprigs of thyme
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• 2 bay leaves
• 4l chicken stock
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• 1 dash of olive oil

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• 200g of brioche loaf , frozen
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These Amazing Cold Soup Recipes Will Make You Hope Summer Never Ends

When we hear the word “soup,” it may trigger daydreams about sweaters, cooler weather, and that cozy feeling you get when something hot hits your stomach. While we realize hot soups may not be on the menu for the next couple of months, soup is basically a food group. So, we we have some other recommendations — cold soups. You might’ve heard of a few classics, but there are so many more calling your name.

We’ve rounded up eight amazing recipes to help you beat the heat and get that yummy full feeling only soup can provide.

Gazpacho 

This cold soup originates from Spain and will bring the heat (we mean spice) that you really want this summer. The key to any gazpacho recipe is tomatoes and Alton Brown’s recipe is no exception. This recipe calls for making an “X” slit at the bottom of your off-the-vine tomatoes, then dropping it in boiling water for 15 seconds. After the quick dip, place the tomatoes in an ice bath. Once you’ve completed the steps to prep the tomatoes, you can start adding the jalapeños, garlic, cucumbers, Worcestershire, cumin and some other spices to complete your perfect first cold soup. Serve it in a chilled wine glass, cold bowls, or even mason jars and it’s sure to be a hit at your next barbecue. 

Cucumber Soup

There are two great parts of cucumber soup. First it’ll help use up some of the cucumbers you forgot to pick in your garden and second it takes ten minutes with no cooking! Simply Recipes’ version of cucumber soup requires you to have a blender on hand. Peel and seed your cucumbers, toss them in the blender with some chopped onion, buttermilk, sour cream, dill and  hit pulse! Once everything looks smooth and mixed together, you’re ready to enjoy this fresh summer soup. 

For those who can’t have as much dairy as they used to, try Veggie Inspired’s vegan recipe here. 

Avocado Soup

Sticking with our theme of green soups, we couldn’t possibly skip over Avocado Soup. This is another dinner where you won’t have to turn the stove on. Jump in with your ripe avocado chunks, chicken broth, lemon/lime juice, with additional seasonings. Once everything is in the blender, hit puree to make your soup thicker. If you prefer your soup with a little thinner consistency, add more broth. My Recipes recommends switching out your chicken broth for vegetable broth if that works best for you.

Watermelon Gazpacho 

Just like we use fall veggies for the best soups, summer cold soups do the same thing! Next up in our cold soup roundup is a spin on traditional gazpacho. Though instead of tomatoes, we’ll be using watermelon. You’ll still get the gazpacho kick because of the jalapeños, but this soup tends to be more savory than sweet. Check out Tastys recipe to get your watermelon kick a different way.

Basil Zucchini Soup

This one requires a smidge of cooking, but we promise you won’t regret it. Love and Lemons recipe takes a total of 26 minutes to cook and starts with sautéing leeks. By the time you’re done, the leeks should be translucent, not bitter. Once those are done, throw some chopped garlic onto the pan for thirty seconds and remove from heat. Next, we’re taking out our trusted blender and combining the leek mixture with the zucchinis, hemp seeds, lemon juice, miso, water and a few grinds of pepper. Once smooth, add the basil in and adjust to taste once everything is together. 

Chilled Ramen with Soy Milk and Chili Oil

Now, we’ve been listing off some easier cold soups because, well, honestly it’s hot and life is hard enough on those toasty days. But if you’re looking for more of a challenge or possibly even a date night recipe, we recommend this chilled ramen recipe . This recipe from Shigetoshi “Jack” Nakamura, requires a bit more of a commitment to make but we guarantee you and whoever is lucky enough to get the second dish, will be grateful for it. 

Blueberry Soup with Yogurt

While most of the soups on here have been savory, sometimes we are looking for a little sweet to spice up our daily meals. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, look no further than this chilled blueberry soup with yogurt. You’ll get a bright color to gaze at with a surprising pop of cinnamon and ginger. Your friends will love this recipe from Lemon Tree Dwelling for brunch or a nice lunch by the pool.

Chilled Hummus Soup

Finally, last but not least is one of our favorite dips turned to soup. This Framed Cooks recipe is creamy, spicy, and healthy — what more could you ask for! Be sure to have your blender or food processor on hand and the secret tool — a fine mesh strainer. It’ll take a total of 15 minutes and doesn’t require any heat. Sounds like a win to us.

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One-pot recipes for easy weeknight dinners

When you’re short on time and energy, one-pot meals are your kitchen saviour. Fewer dishes, less fussing and meals that virtually cook themselves — the benefits of one-pot recipes are numerous. Whether you’re looking for a hearty lamb stew, something vegetarian yet full of comforting flavour, or a creamy risotto, these one-pan dinners are here for you.

Here are our best one-pot recipes for tonight’s dinner inspiration.

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Looking for more one-pot meals and dinner recipes? Check out Australian Women’s Weekly collection of one-pot dinners .

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The 37 Most Popular Recipes From Gourmet

By Maggie Hoffman and The Editors of Epicurious

Epicurious launched in 1995 with about 5,000 recipes— digitized by a group of monks in Virginia —and the dream of becoming a go-to resource for home cooks everywhere. Today, across Epicurious and and our sister site, Bon Appétit, we have over 50,000 carefully tested recipes available—including more than 11,000 recipes reprinted from the pages of Gourmet . In this list you’ll find 37 reader favorites—the Gourmet recipes you come back to again and again. You’ll notice some of them have received a little glow-up as we begin to add high-resolution photos to popular recipes that never had them before. Dive into the list to plan your next special occasion dinner—or cozy brunch at home.

Chocolate Mousse

Many of the most popular Gourmet recipes are sophisticated sweets, like this luscious chocolate dessert. We promise it's actually not difficult to make: You'll simply heat cream in a small saucepan then whisk into a mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt. That combination gets warmed over low heat and scented with vanilla, then combined with melted chocolate and freshly whipped cream. You can make this mousse a day in advance—which means it's a great low-stress option for a special dinner.

Haricots Verts With Herb Butter

Sometimes it's the simplest sides that make a dinner great. And this one even gives you the option to make the vibrant lemon, tarragon, and parsley butter up to three days ahead. Toss with hot blanched green beans at the last second for an easy, but impressive vegetable dish.

Simple Hot Cocoa for One

This simple hot cocoa recipe requires just unsweetened cocoa powder, milk (dairy or non-dairy as preferred), vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and as much sugar as you like. A flurry of snow outside helps, too.

Belgian Buttermilk Waffles With Glazed Bananas

Get your waffle iron ready—these buttermilk waffles are sure to impress, especially with their easy glazed-banana topping.

Crisp Roast Duck

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Homemade Dulce de Leche

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Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Rosemary

“This recipe is simple and very straightforward. The results are outstanding,” writes Epicurious reader Teslaughter. Other commenters agree that this is a “winning recipe" that's perfect for Easter dinner or any festive meal.

Cedar-Plank Salmon

Bookmark this salmon recipe for your first backyard barbecue of the spring. The salmon takes on a light, smoky woodiness from grilling on a cedar plank, for a lovely pairing of earth and ocean. “I have made this recipe on numerous occasions,” writes Epi reader Blinet. The results? It's always “a big success.”

Creamy Leek Soup

This creamy leek soup from Gourmet 's Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez is velvety but not at all heavy; dolloped with cool, billowy cream, the soup coaxes out the vegetable's most sensuous side. It makes a lovely first course, and gets even better if you prepare it a few days ahead.

Cheese Fondue

A touch of cornstarch, helps to keep the cheese and wine from separating in this classic fondue recipe. Not sure what to dip? Cubed baguette is always nice, but fresh fruit works, too, or roasted potatoes, crunchy raw bell pepper, blanched broccoli, or green beans.

Empanada Dough

Once you've learned to make this basic—but beautifully flaky—empanada dough, there's no reason you can't use it to make any kind of empanada your heart desires.

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Double Chocolate Layer Cake

This five-star favorite from the March 1999 issue is the perfect birthday cake . Or the perfect any-day cake.

This simple lemon curd recipe uses equal quantities of fresh lemon juice and sugar, so that it's bright and tart. Dollop it on yogurt, serve it with scones, or layer onto a cake to bring a bit of sunshine into your winter. If you tire of the classic, remember—you can also make curd from (almost) any fruit .

Lemony Risotto With Asparagus and Shrimp

Risotto feels fancy but truly isn't hard to make. This one is brightened with grated lemon zest and sweet spring asparagus.

Bouillabaisse

The trick to making great bouillabaisse: focus on finding great seafood rather than finding one specific fish. Don't be afraid of improvising with this recipe, as long as the basic ratios stay the same. Monkfish, turbot, red snapper, striped bass, porgy, grouper, and cod will all work well with whatever shellfish is available.

Cream Cheese Pastry Dough

This cream cheese dough works especially well for a savory tart. It's easy, it's flaky, it's been a go-to for readers since 1988.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

File this under: classic for a reason. This is the perfect easy chocolate dessert , no matter what you're making for dinner. It keeps for a week, so you can carve off slivers whenever you want one.

Three Cities of Spain Cheesecake

Food editor emeritus Anna Stockwell declared this cheesecake simply the best of all time. The recipe is so simple you can easily memorize it, and there's no water bath required. The simple sour cream topping adds a touch of tangy flavor (and covers any cracks).

Crème Brûlée French Toast Casserole

This luscious baked French toast doesn't require a kitchen torch —it crisps on top in your oven, and has a rich brown sugar caramel at the bottom of the pan.

Sour-Cream Pancakes With Sour-Cream Maple Syrup

Ever find yourself with a cup of sour cream sitting in the fridge? The solution's in this pancake recipe from Gourmet food editor Lillian Chou. These flapjacks get their tender texture from half a cup. But what really makes them special is the rich, tangy topping, which uses up the rest.

Panna Cotta

This classic make-ahead dessert can shift with the seasons. Top with berries in summer, supremed citrus in winter, or eat it unadorned whenever you like.

Turkey Meatloaf

This flavorful meatloaf gets its moisture from finely chopped cremini mushrooms and milk-soaked breadcrumbs. Brush it with ketchup before cooking—and serve more ketchup on the side.

Bourbon Chicken Liver Pâté

Though this pâté can be eaten the day it's made—and it's a particularly perfect partner for slices of baguette and a martini —we find it even more flavorful when made a day or two ahead. If you use several small ramekins instead of a pâté crock or terrine, you may need more clarified butter to seal the tops.

Spaghettini with Garlic and Lemon

While many of the most popular recipes from Gourmet were special-occasion meals, this weeknight dinner is also among reader favorites. All you need to make it is pasta, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, lemons, parsley, and salt and pepper.

Classic Pecan Pie

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without this pie, which is really loaded with nuts and gets a little verve from orange zest. The filling calls for light corn syrup , which is mostly flavorless and lets the nuttiness of the pecans shine. If you prefer you can substitute an equal amount of dark corn syrup , which gets its darker color and more robust flavor from molasses ( brown rice syrup is another great choice).

Sticky Rice With Mango

This classic dessert is the ideal way to finish a Thai feast. Fill in the rest of your menu with papaya salad and this fantastic saffron-rubbed chicken . Running short on time? You can also make mango sticky rice in your microwave .

Chicken Tagine With Apricots and Almonds

This recipe was inspired by the version served by chef Baija Lafridi at at Jnane Tamsna in Marrakech. If you don't have a 10- to 12-inch tagine, you can cook the dish in a heavy skillet.

Whole-Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

A hearty breakfast doesn't necessarily have to require a lot of fuss. These pancakes, made with quick-cooking oats, buttermilk, and whole-wheat flour, require just 20 minutes of active time. Top with berries, bananas, or just maple syrup.

Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake

Many beloved Gourmet recipes were reader requests, such as this fantastic chocolate cake from Bridge Street Bakery in Waitsfield, Vermont. The filling is made from sweetened condensed milk that is cooked in a water bath in the oven until it caramelizes. While the milk is baking, you can prepare your chocolate glaze.

Six-Hour Pork Roast

This juicy boneless pork shoulder, rubbed with a mixture of sage, rosemary, garlic, fennel seeds, white wine, olive oil, salt, and pepper, cooks at 275°F for six hours.

Perfect Steamed Rice

It's not shocking that readers frequently refer back to this recipe, which yields perfectly fluffy rice every time.

These Vietnamese spring rolls, stuffed with bean thread noodles, wood ear mushrooms, grated carrot, and ground pork shoulder, can be assembled (but not fried) and frozen, wrapped well in foil. Thaw in refrigerator before frying. Serve with lettuce leaves, mint, and cilantro for wrapping each crispy bite.

Cream of Asparagus Soup (Crème d'asperges)

Asparagus season is one of the many reasons we look forward to spring. This classic French soup is simple to prepare in advance, and a perfect choice for entertaining.

Chicken Marsala

Transform boneless chicken breasts into a luxurious meal with this sauce made with mushrooms, Marsala, chicken broth, and cream.

Lemon Curd Marbled Cheesecake

Cap of your meal with this showstopper, swirled throughout with tangy lemon curd. It's one of our favorite cheesecake recipes of all time.

Duck à l’Orange

For this rendition of the retro dinner party feast, the Gourmet test kitchen reduced the original quantity of sugar and caramelized it (along with the aromatic vegetables which balance out the sweetness) for a rich sauce with layers of flavor.

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Celery Soup

The weather is in that uncertain stage when it’s not quite sure if it wants to take a leap into spring or bid a hasty retreat back into cold winter days. Here in London we’re used to changeable weather throughout the year where you can see huge 10C drops or jumps from one day to the next, but overall, these first days of February, though bringing a cold wind over the weekend, have brought signs of brighter days to come. The days are getting noticeably longer, the sun has shone in a clear blue sky and I was delighted this morning to find the first spring bulb – a beautiful dwarf iris – had sprung through the ground in my garden overnight.

The year may be divided into four seasons, but when it comes to my lunch choice, it’s divided merely into two: soup in the winter months; salad in the summer months. I always eat a main meal in the evening and look for a quick simple lunch, often because I’m working and want something fairly instant. I make batches of soup, packed in single portions for the freezer, during the winter and make up salads in the summer from a selection of vegetables – cucumber, peppers, carrots, rocket from the fridge; warm tomatoes and avocados from a bowl on the kitchen worktop – and add cheese or hummus. Then there’s the crossover time, like now. A warm spring day when I opt to put a salad together to go with the fresh sourdough loaf I bought in the morning; the cold wintry day when I make some soup or take a portion from the freezer. There comes the time when spring moves towards summer and I think I should use up any packets of soup lurking at the back of the freezer, so they don’t go off before winter comes again.

There are a lot of soup recipes on the blog but my go-to ones, made frequently, are Leek and Potato , Roasted Butternut Squash & Tomato  and  Carrot Soup . As for Celery Soup, that’s not something I’ve made for a very long time. I always have celery. It’s an essential for making a soffritto – a mix of onion, celery and carrot that’s lightly fried in olive oil and forms the foundation of many an Italian dish or sauce. I might chop some celery into a mix of vegetables for roasting ( click here ); slice it thinly into a salad. I might simply eat a stick for a refreshing veggie snack. But I’ve not used it as the basis for a soup for so long, I can’t even remember if I ever have! But today it became almost a necessity. I ordered some organic celery in my weekly delivery from Waitrose and the pack was so large, it contained two heads of celery. I knew it would mainly go limp and old before I used it all, so a soup was made.

Celery has a very distinctive flavour and I think it’s one of those things you probably either like a lot or not at all. As part of a soffritto or in a large salad or vegetable mix, it remains more subtle, adding just a touch of sweetness, especially once cooked; raw there’s a slight bitterness to it. When it takes centre stage, then really you can’t ignore its flavour. It’s bold and intense and thus a soup in which it is the main ingredient will have a very strong celery taste too.

There always feels something a bit healthy about celery. Maybe it’s that snap of the raw stick; the fresh herby taste; its ‘clean’ look. It is indeed rich in vitamins and minerals like potassium and folate and it’s also a great source of fibre. So it is healthy. But in all honesty, I’m not ‘into’ foods for their health-giving properties, or at least that’s rarely my main concern. I do eat healthily – a balanced diet of mainly organic foods – but it’s flavour and thus enjoyment that are paramount in Travel Gourmet’s kitchen.

A few recipes I looked at made a creamy soup with celery, but I decided to keep it simple and just do my normal thing of adding onion and potato and not much else to a vegetable for soup. I had a bunch of some lovely thyme, so I decided to add a few sprigs of that. I’ll give a recipe below, but with this kind of soup, use what you have to hand and exact measurements aren’t important.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large baking potato, chopped
• 1 head of celery, chopped (including any leaves – don’t throw them away!)
• a few sprigs of thyme (optional)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• water or stock

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion. Cook for a minute or two, then add the potato and celery. Cook for another couple of minutes, stirring to stop the vegetables sticking to the bottom and to get them all to soften a bit. Season with some salt and pepper and add the sprigs of thyme, if using.

Pour over enough water or stock to just cover the vegetables. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. As soon as it starts to bubble, turn the heat down, put a lid on and leave on a simmer to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the woody thyme sprigs – most of the leaves will have come off and that’s fine. Then blitz it all with a stick blender until you have a smooth soup. Check seasoning.

I did add just a little natural yoghurt (I didn’t have cream) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to my bowl for lunch. Some two-day old sourdough bread was toasted and drizzled with olive oil and lunch was ready. Very simple and two portions to go into the freezer for another day.

It was delicious and made a nice change from all those other favourites I’ve been eating over the winter. There was something a bit more springlike about its fresh flavour. And yes it did taste quite healthy – but healthy plus flavour is good!

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2 thoughts on “ celery soup ”.

I just don’t love celery enough to make this soup. But it’s pretty! And so are those mini irises!

Thank you, Mimi, and it’s lovely to see signs of spring in the garden.

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