Thursday 8 September 2011

Velvet Underground

Velutata di Patate e Zucchine con Pancetta e Timo
Velvety Potato and Zucchini Soup with Bacon and Thyme


This evening I walked home in the rain. It was just a light shower, but it was the first evening that really felt like Fall- sigh! So it felt like time for a nice, hearty soup- something warm and satisfying. And something quick and easy as usual... I was cold, wet and starving! I may as well get used to it I suppose... and you all may as well get used to seeing lots of soup recipes this Fall and Winter... because you are going to!


This is one of the quickest and easiest ways I know to make a lovely, smooth and velvety soup. The amount I made was enough for 2 servings. I started off by finely grating the potatoes and zucchini, half a carrot, an onion and a half a stick of celery. I used 2 cupfuls of potato and 1 cupful of zucchini. I am not going to tell you how many potatoes- because.... how big is a potato? Silly question, right? It depends what size it is. But 1 cupful per person is more than enough.



Fry all of the ingredients, together with a clove of garlic, in olive oil, stirring constantly. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and continue stirring for 3-4 minutes. Now turn up the heat and add a splash of white wine to de-glaze the pan. Transfer everything to your food mixer and puree everything together, then return to your pan and add some regular milk, a little vegetable stock and as much water as necessary to get it to the desired consistency. Let the soup simmer gently for a further 5 minutes, whilst you prepare the garnish...


The garnish is simply potato, cut in the finest Juliennne you can manage, and fried with some bacon bits at a moderate heat until it is crispy and brown. Season with salt, pepper and a hint of sugar right at the end and add it to your deliciously creamy soup, with a scattering of fresh thyme and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil... and enjoy!

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