Elements of a Creamy Soup

Slightly adapted from: Brian Lagerstrom's Rules for Creating Creamy Soups

This recipe makes a lot of soup. Feel free to halve ingredients.

1. SWEAT THE AROMATICS AND GARLIC

• 300 g or 3 cups aromatics (onion, leek, fennel, and/or celery), roughly chopped - to keep carbs low, definitely use celery for part of the aromatics, but do not use it as the only aromatic. Tip: remove strings from celery or just use the inner more tender stalks. Grams of carbs in aromatics:
  • 1 c white onion = 15
  • 1 c leeks = 12.6
  • 1 c fennel = 6.4
  • 1 c celery = 3
• 25 g or 4-5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 30-40 g or 2-3 Tbsp fat (olive oil, butter, ghee or coconut oil. Tip: refined coconut oil has no coconut flavour.)

Preheat large, heavy bottomed pot on medium-low. Add fat then aromatics, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat for 15 minutes until translucent, not caramelized.

2. ADD VEGETABLE(S) AND COOKING LIQUID

Add to the pot:

• 1200 g or 8-9 cups of chopped low-carb veggies (e.g., asparagus, broccoli, celeriac (celery root), cauliflower, zucchini, rutabaga (Swede), red peppers, etc.)
• 1000 g/32 oz stock
• 500 g/1 pint heavy cream (or coconut cream)

Note: For the liquids, always use a 2-to-1 stock-to-cream ratio. For vegetables, you can always combine a strong veg with a milder one., e.g., rutabaga with zucchini, celeriac with cauliflower, etc.

At this point, you can also add other seasonings, like Indian spices, chili flakes, Italian seasoning, etc.

Increase heat and bring to a simmer. When simmering, reduce heat to medium-low to low, cover, and cook until veggies are tender (usually 25-30 minutes).

3. PUREE
When veggies are tender, add to blender in batches and purée until smooth. If mixture becomes too thick to blend, add just enough additional stock or water to allow it to blend.

5. STRAIN
Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, pressing through with a spoon or spatula.

6. SEASON
Taste for seasoning then add a strong pinch or two of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir and taste again. Adjust seasoning accordingly. (I almost always add Aleppo chili flakes.)

7. ADD PROTEIN (OPTIONAL)
Add shredded cooked chicken, pulled pork, cubed tofu, chopped hard-boiled eggs, or other protein if desired. Some soups, like broccoli or cauliflower, will be tasty with shredded cheese sprinkled on top. 

8. ADD GREENS (OPTIONAL)
Wilt spinach or chopped Romaine lettuce in the hot soup.

Also see: Roasted Red Pepper Soup.