Soup Season in New England

Being near the shore in the Northeast reminds us of how the sea can be angry like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli. But, that is a New York view of soup. Not everyone is a soup Nazi. So, if you come to us, you won’t hear “no soup for you!”; because, it’s Soup Season in New England.

The summer heat has given way to the umber hues of turning leaves. Trees are slipping into hibernation. And, under the harvest moon, the temperatures are dropping by the hour. Chilled melon soups, Gazpacho, and vichyssoise will have to wait another 6 to 9 months. It’s time for stick to your ribs, whole body warming soups. This is when the heavy potages, chowders, bisques, and cream soups reign (and, of course, chicken soup for the soul). If anybody knows about these, it’s the inhabitants of the Northeast. We believe in layering, lamentation, and liquid warmth. Nothing soothes a dour tormented mind suffering the effects of Seasonal Affective disorder like a nice hot bowl of soup.

Soup Season in New England means seasonal produce

When settlers first came to “New” England, they encountered a rough climate and a lack of amenities available in big cities. This was wilderness survival. There were no general stores. Thankfully, the Wampanoag indigenous people shared some of their wisdom to help the transplants through those first few cold seasons. And, we repaid them by taking their land and worse (but, that’s a discussion for another time).

This isn’t to say that the Pilgrims came completely unprepared. They brought seeds for things like beans, barley, and peas. They would also grow root vegetables like carrots and turnips. Other crops included pumpkins, spinach, herbs, and lettuces. They had to learn to hunt, fish, farm, and Preserve food. And, they had to adjust their diet to get through the winter months. This meant dried, smoked, and salted food stored from the harvesting seasons. They didn’t have the best diet, especially in the colder months (you can’t preserve lettuce and melons). But, they had life sustaining soup.

Of course, corn was one of the major crops. The corn the natives grew was a hybrid that the settlers were not familiar with. It was variegated in color. Unlike today’s corn, it was not as sweet. It was mostly dried and used for corn meal and flours. Corn became a staple of every meal. So, that brings us to our recipe du jour. It’s Soup Season in New England. Let’s bring some corn into the equation.

So, let’s make some soup!

To celebrate the arrival of fall, we want to hark back to the days of the original settlers and live off the land. There are so many wonderful ways to make soup. We could do a potage parmentier (potato and leek soup) or the very popular pumpkin spice soup. But, in homage to the natives who brought us Corn, or, as the New Englanders call it: cahn. So, we present this New England Corn chowder recipe (it is vegetarian and gluten free). If you’re good though, we may also drop some other recipes as well.

This chowder recipe can be adapted to a traditional clam or seafood chowder. But, a vegetarian version highlights the versatility of the medium. Experiment with it. Start with a corn base, and add in things like mushrooms, truffles, Sweet peppers, Zucchini, Peas, beans, or spinach. You can make a meal out of this chowder. Try adding chicken, turkey, or pulled pork. It can be adjusted to be vegan by using Coconut, oat, or almond milk. Feel free to play around. But, most importantly, enjoy Soup Season in New England.

Herbed New England Corn Chowder

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American, New England

Servings 2 Quarts

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup Diced sweet onion (plus the ends and trimmings for making stock)
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Garlic (plus a couple extra cloves for stock)
• 1 cup Diced Fresh celery (plus trimmings and ends for making stock)
• 2 cups diced peeled golden potato
• 4 ears corn
• 1 stick Butter (use a vegan butter substitute for vegan version)
• 1/4 cup corn flour
• 1 Quart Heavy Cream (Use a cream substitute for vegan)
• 2 quart water
• 3 each Bay leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped thyme, and sage mixed Save the stems for making stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Peel the corn and cut the kernels off the cob. Reserve the kernels. Place the cobs in water with Onion and celery trimmings, herb stems, garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cut back to a simmer to make a stock. Allow to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour to really get the corn flavor out. You should end up with about a quart of stock.
• Heat the butter in a heavy gauge pot over medium heat. Add in the onion, celery and potato. Saute until translucent and the potatoes begin to soften. Add in the herbs, bay leaf, and corn and stir. Cook for about 1 minute. Add in the corn flour and stir until the liquid in the pan combines well and a roux paste is created. Cook that while stirring occasionally for about a minute. Strain the stock into the pan, and, whisk vigorously to incorporate the roux into the stock to thicken it.
• Continue cooking for about 5 to 10 minutes to make sure the potatoes are cooked, but not falling apart. Add in the cream, and, bring to a boil. Continue whisking. Taper off to a simmer. Allow the soup to thicken for a few minutes. Then season and serve hot. Garnish with a nice chive oil or add more flavors like peas, spinach, or whatever you want.

Notes

To make vegan, substitute butter and cream with vegan alternatives.

If you want a meat version, render some bacon before adding the butter. I would cut back on the amount of butter due to the additional fat from the bacon.

We used corn flour as a nod to the pilgrims, and, to make it gluten free, For a thicker smoother consistency, use traditional AP flour.

Another little trick is to add a little maple syrup or sugar to highlight the sweetness of the corn. This isn’t for everybody. But, I know some people with a sweet tooth who love this addition.

This recipe is pretty stripped down on purpose. You can add lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp, haddock, swordfish, or any other variety of fish for a New England Seafood version. Or you can go with a more savory Chicken and corn chowder (or other meat). Or, add vegetables for a vegetable chowder. Or you can just serve it as is.

Keyword Chowder, corn, Creamy, herbed, New England, vegetarian

Truffled Potage Parmentier

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American, French

Servings 2 quarts

Ingredients

  

• 2 Lb Peeled and quartered Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 1 Quart Chopped fresh Leeks
• 2 Tbsp Chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup Brandy or cognac
• 2 quart Vegetable stock
• 1 pint Heavy Cream
• 1 stick Butter unsalted
• 2 Tbsp Truffle Peelings
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Truffle oil to drizzle
• Chopped chives and herbs to garnish
• 1/4 cup julienne leeks
• 1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt, pepper, sage, thyme
• Oil to fry the leeks

Instructions

 

• Heat Butter in a heavy stock pot over medium high heat. Add in the leeks and stir. Add the potatoes and continue stirring. Add the Thyme, Then add the brandy. Burn off the alcohol from the brandy. Then add the stock. Bring to a boil, then trim the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are soft and breaking apart. Add cream and truffle shavings and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Puree the soup either in a blender or using a stick blender in the pot. Make sure it is super smooth. Season the soup and keep warm.
• Heat some oil for frying the leeks for garnish. Toss the julienne leeks in seasoned flour and fry until golden brown.
• Bowl the soup, drizzle with truffle oil and chive oil if you want a color contrast. Garnish with chopped herbs and crispy fried leeks.

Keyword Autumn, Creamy, French, New England, Parmentier, Potage, potato, soup, Truffled, Vicchysoise