Guilty as charged. So guilty as charged.
According to the National Resources Defense Council, an amazing 40% of our country’s food is thrown out every year. Now that you’ve digested that number, here’s another. The cost of that wastage translates to a whopping $165 billion.
Seems crazy, doesn’t it, that almost fifty million Americans do not have access to enough food every day. Seventeen million of those are children. For seniors, the number, 10% to 11%, is rising quickly. Welcome, Boomers.
If you’re wondering what this had to do with today’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe choice, Christine’s Simple Party Soups, here’s the deal. Dorie’s Parisian friend, Christine Vasseur, serves an exquisite hors d’oeuvre triumvirate of pureed soups. Each vegetable, asparagus, red pepper and broccoli, stars in its own soup extravaganza. Served together, in their individual shot glass and topped with a dollop of spiced whipped cream, this is sure to impress any guest. Oh, yes, three spoons, please.
Christine’s simple party soups, asparagus, red pepper and broccoli (foreground) as pictured in Dorie Greenspan’s, “Around My French Table.” Photo by Alan Richardson
Still with me? My only resolution this year is to eliminate waste in my kitchen. Since I’ve not yet adjusted to cooking for One, I either give away or toss away too many of my extras. My garbage sends me on a guilt trip. That’s why this week I decided to make only one soup, the tangy, electric-red, cream-coifed bell pepper soup variety. My Dorista colleagues will be making the additional asparagus and broccoli soups so visit them at this link.
I even cut the red pepper soup recipe in half but still managed to make three different variations of it by adding shrimp to one portion and raspberries to the other. I used tiny canned cocktail shrimp in one. For the second, I made Chilled Red Pepper-Raspberry Soup, Dorie’s Bonne Idée She nails it when remarking, ‘the berries add both acidity and mystery to the flavor.’
Spiced cream-topped Red Pepper Soup
Because this delightful first course can be made the day before (add the shrimp at the last moment) and served hot or cold, here are my suggestions for making all three reds for your Valentine’s or next dinner party. Pour the soups into demitasse cups or tall shot glasses and let your guests – who may want to try more than one kind – decide which most tantalizes their taste buds. A conversation starter, whether in the living room or at the dinner table.
Chilled Red Pepper-Raspberry Soup
You can find the recipes for all three soups here. The technique is simple and the same for all three vegetables. Cook each in its own broth (vegetable, chicken, or even bouillon cubes with water), bring first to a boil and then let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Liquefy the mixture in your blender, pour into the container of your choice and plop some frothy, spiced whipped cream on top. Voila!
Red-pepper with Shrimp Soup
Tonight I will finish my red pepper with shrimp soup for dinner. A FFWD week with no leftovers. Hooray, yahoo, give this gal a gold star.
French Friday’s with Dorie is an international cooking group working its way through Dorie Greenspan’s “Around my French Table, more than 300 recipes from my home to yours.”
I really enjoyed all three of these soups and will be making them again very soon! Interesting how many of you used the cream – I never think to use that in a soup – always use Greek yoghurt these days!
I think mine needed shrimp! Or raspberries. Nicely done, my friend!!!
Gold star, indeed. You made one soup into three – even more impressive!
Fortunately, Runner Girl took all of my leftovers back to school with her (soup included). She would rather eat leftovers than cafeteria food. I am not sure if that means that the leftovers are that good or if campus food is that bad… I will just let myself believe the former.
I skipped this week and I will have to make this up soon. Your soup looks fantastic! I, too, enjoy a thicker soup. Wonderful!
I like how you made this into three versions. I’m not into raspberry, but I’ll bet the
shrimp was delicious. I enjoyed the broccoli soup best when it was chilled, and with a
shot of vodka would be even better for a lovely brunch. Next time… have a great
weekend.
The pepper soup is definitely a great counterpart to seafood. The color for the one with raspberries is stunning. I don’t think my three “variations” of the pepper soup count… all based on temperature!
I know I am guilty of generating food waste – it’s good to be reminded that we need to be more conscious and shop/cook more responsibly.
You would have to discuss eliminating food waste THIS week wouldn’t you Mary. I ended up pouring my pepper soup down the drain as it was way too thin and, well, pointless, and I had no time to figure out what to do with it. I wish I set out to try the raspberries though…
gorgeous presentation…liquid jewelry. And of course you know I am delighted you are scaling down your waste and your expenses. I am so proud of you.
miss you buddy, Donna
Your soup is such a cheery red colour. I thought about doing the red pepper version, but it sounded like a bit more work than the asparagus, so that is what I plumped for.
Ooh, I didn’t even seen the raspberry twist! D’oh on me for not reading the bonne idee!
Beautiful presentation. Love the shrimp. Thanks for sharing the stats on food waste.
Having been raised by a Depression era mother… I waste nothing. I even put rinds of cheese in soup. If my vegetables start to wilt I make quiche or soup. I think people buy too much… it’s that Cosco mentality. Americans would be shocked at how small European refrigators are…
Cooking for one: I used to make the whole portion of a recipe and freeze it in small containers. I think I learned that from my mom too.
I really wish I liked red pepper, because the red pepper-raspberry soup actually sounded interesting. And I’m willing to bet it had a bit more flavor than the plain soups! I only made the asparagus and found it lacking a bit. At least it was easy to make!
Great new year resolution. I cleaned out my cupboards last year before Thanksgiving and was appalled by how many things had expired before I had a chance to use them up. So hubby and I are also trying to be better about not wasting. Soup, however, is never wasted in my house. My freezer feels absolutely bare if it doesn’t have at least a few different options.
Great job on the soup. All your variations sound great, especially the one with shrimp. I made all three flavors, with the red pepper being my least favorite because it was too thin (even with liquid reduction). However, I think with more “stuff” in it would have saved it. I didn’t think of that (even though we finished it thin). Yes, that food waste number staggers me every time I hear it. Hope you are settling to your winter nest.
Oh Mary, your soup is so pretty and I’m so impressed that you made 3 out of 1, quite magical. I’m so guilty of wasting especially when Im creating recipes. Sometimes my ideas are worth nothing more than the trash can but it does make me feel bad to waste food. My husband always says that great recipes would never be created without failures. But it still makes me feel bad.
The colour of the Raspberry Red Pepper soup is so irresistible! I wanted to make it like this as well but could not find an raspberries and the supermarket was just too far away. Oh well even the plain version was good enough for me! I have the same problem with wasted food as most of the recipes are four and we are just two so I have to halve the recipes most of the time because one thing that I hate most is wasting food.
I love how you turned this into three soups – that is creative and a great way to reduce kitchen waste. Hope we get to meet up while you are in California!
Love your idea for the shrimp version and I think I would love the raspberry version, too. I wasn’t thrilled with the three soups as written, though.
I never would have thought that the raspberries would be a good combination. Glad you enjoyed it! And love the variations!
A gold star indeed ! Well earned. Love that you showed the different ways to enjoy this – there is so much potential to what type of soup to create and then what to do with said creation. That was my favorite take away from this week. Ok, I wolfed the broccoli soup too….. so knowledge was not the only take away. And great info on the waste. I am guilty of that when I have the kids home, when it is just my hubby and I and sometimes, when I am the only person around. It is a goal for me as well.
OMG MARY!! Shrimp would be the PERFECT garnish for this! and what a great side if serving as an appetizer! … I’m going to write it down so I dont forget it… brilliant! 🙂 It was a good one, wasn’t it?
I’m guilty too! I could make my own stock but I rarely have the space to keep all the veggies and bones and carcasses to make them with and little to no freezer space to keep the broth so it all winds up getting thrown out in the end. Good intentions and all but doesnt make up for it in the end. We do try to use as much of everything we buy but sometimes we do throw out stuff we could use somehow….
May your soup look great. The raspberry version might have worked for me. I love the addition of shrimp. I have been trying to work on my waste problem but then I threw all three of these in the trash!
The raspberry bonne idee sounds amazing Mary, very Dorie! I hear you my friend about your resolutions. I’m kind of in the same spot now (the ridiculous high temps might have a bit to do with it too…), and am blogging less in part because I don’t want to end up wasting or eating so much food.
These soups are just so cute!