has anybody got some really good soup recipes for a new restaurant menu i need fine dining quality soups?

Answer 1

I have quite a few! Trouble is where to start!

Mushroom Soup.

Plenty of mushroom - the more varieties the better
Handful of dried mushrooms soaked for a while and strained, but reserve the liquid. It can go in as well.
Onion finely diced
Garlic - per taste and finely chopped
Beef, chicken or vegetable stock - I like beef best for mushrooms.
Mushroom ketchup, plenty of pepper and no salt - until the end and then it can be added to taste.
Mixed herbs - dried or fresh if available.
Grating of nutmeg
If you can get hold of some kind of smoke flavour that would be all the better.
Gently sautee the onions for a few minutes until soft, but not browned. Add mushrooms and garlic and sautee for a while until soft. Add stock and herbs and pepper and allow to boil for about 20 mins to 1/2 hour. Then simmer for as long as you want to develop flavours. Add mushroom ketchup to taste.

Depending on how you want to serve it - as a solid soup or liquidised, do not liquidise it or do so. Return to pot and add some creme fraiche just before serving and adjust seasoning if necessary., you would add a swirl of single cream or creme fraiche and maybe sprinkle with garlic croutons.

Carrot and Orange soup.

Carrots coursely grated
Onion
Garlic
Veg or chicken stock - depending on whether you want vegetarian or not.
Orange zest finely slivered and juice of oranges (mind the pips)
Orange juice - from carton is fine
Mixed herbs

Method as above.

I am getting tired now, but I have very many soup recipes up my sleeve that I would love to see on restaurant menus in England.

I wish I could come to your restaurant. I can only ask you to post this question again a little later when I will be able to add to this answer.

At present all I can say is good luck with the restaurant and may I take this opportunity to wish you a happy and successful 2007!

Answer 2

ive been a chef for the bones of 20 years but the nicest soup i ever tasted was on a 2 year stint in an italian restaurant. now trust me this doesnt sound half as good as it tastes and you will have to look up the recipe but you should really try Italian Cabbage and Rice soup

Answer 3

French Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
6 tomatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large potato, peeled and quartered
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup long-grain rice

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions in butter until tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, and continue cooking for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently. Add the potato, and 2 cups of water. Season with the bay leaf, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Stir in the remaining water, and bring to a boil again. Discard bay leaf, and strain the solids from the broth, reserving both. Puree the vegetables in a food processor or blender, and stir them back into the broth. Bring to a boil, and add the rice. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Serve hot.

Answer 4

"You can substitute raspberries, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, or even nectarines for the strawberries. What ever you feel like. Be hesitant of using blueberries, they just never seem to turn out."

INGREDIENTS
2 cups strawberries
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS
Place strawberries and buttermilk into a blender or food processor and puree. Sweeten with sugar to taste, blend and either serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator.

"Also known as "carabaccia", this is a local specialty in Florence, and is hard to find even in cookbooks specializing in Italian soups! The effect should be rich and somewhat sweet (but not too much). Adding roasted garlic would be a good variation."

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 pounds onions
2 teaspoons white sugar
salt to taste
1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry white wine
1 quart chicken broth
1 small cinnamon stick
4 cups cubed, stale French or Italian bread

DIRECTIONS
In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Cut onions in half lengthwise, then slice thinly. Place sliced onions in pot and toss to coat with oil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and beginning to color, 30 minutes.
Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, uncovered, until onions are amber in color, 45 minutes.
Sprinkle onions with sugar and a little bit of salt; cook, stirring, until sugar melts and onions are caramel colored, 5 minutes. Pour in wine and broth, and place cinnamon stick in pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
Stir the bread into the soup and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the bread disintegrates, 30 to 45 minutes.
Remove the cinnamon stick. Whisk the soup to incorporate the bread. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Answer 5

Ribollita

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling at the table
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 fresh laurel leaf or 1 dried bay leaf - fresh bay is available in herb section of larger markets
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cans small white beans, such as Goya brand, cannellini beans may be substituted but look for cans marked "small white beans" on international foods aisle of market
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups tomato sauce
3 cups stale chewy Italian bread, crust removed and bread torn into pieces, about 1/2 a loaf
1 small white onion, thinly sliced or finely chopped, for garnish
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

Heat a deep, heavy bottomed pot over moderate heat. Add oil, garlic, onions, carrots, celery and bay to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and saute until they begin to soften 5 to 7 minutes. Add beans, stock and tomato sauce. Bring soup to a boil over medium high heat. Remove lid and stir in torn stale bread. Stir soup and incorporate bread as it breaks down. When soup is becomes thick and bread is distributed evenly, adjust seasoning and serve the soup in shallow bowls. Some ribolittas are so thick, the spoon can stand upright. This is a subjective technique. Make yours as thick or thin, as you like with the addition of either more bread or additional stock or water.

Top shallow bowlfuls of soup with thinly sliced or finely chopped raw onion, a drizzle of extra- virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Answer 6

The best soup I ever had:
French onion soup from a 500 year old pub in Colnbrook by Heathrow.
They served it in heavy wooden bowls which had been toasted before serving. This left the bowls a little scorched but the soup was a+++++++

Answer 7

Check Irma Rombauer & Marion Rombauer Becker's "JOY OF COOKING". Some suggestions I would make are French Onion Gratinee, Mulligatawny, Vichyssoise, any seafood bisque, any gumbo. The recipes in this time honored book are all top notch.

Answer 8

Dont forget Classic Veggie Soup

I make mine with

4 regular cans of tomato sauce
4 regular cans of veg all (mixed veggies)
2 regular cans of water
3-4 lbs hamburger (or beef roast)
salt and pepper

Brown the hamburger completely then add all the rest in a large pot and let simmer. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper.

Answer 9

Chicken Velvet Soup
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
6 cups hot chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups diced cooked chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons instant chicken broth

Melt butter in large saucepan. Whisk in flour. Cook till flour begins to bubble. Stir in 2 cups of chicken stock, milk, heavy cream. Stir in the remaining stock, cooked chicken and chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste.


Beef Barley Soup
2 cups diced potatoes
3 cups diced carrots
3 cups diced celery
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup beef base
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 cups chopped beef roast
Water
2 cups barley (cooked, rinsed well)

Combine all ingredients except barley in kettle. Add water to cover. Boil until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add barley, cook 15 minutes. Makes 4 quarts, 8 to 12 servings.


Creamy Tomato Soup
4 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced
4 cups tomato juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste
Place tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture and return the puree to the stock pot. Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.


Mom's Potato Soup
8-10 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 stalks celery sliced
Water
6 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste

In large pot, combine potatoes, onion and celery. Cover with water and simmer 1 hour or until veggies are tender. Add milk and heat through (do not boil!). Salt and pepper to taste.

Answer 10

I make this all the time, and it is wonderful. I would reorder it in a restaurant any time!

MUSHROOM BARLEY SOUP

8 SERVINGS
¼ C BUTTER
1 LB MUSHROOMS, CUT INTO ½ INCH PIECES
2 LARGE CARROTS CHOPPED
2 LARGE CELERY STALKS, CHOPPED
1 ONION CHOPPED
½ C PEARL BARLEY,RINSED
2 T FLOUR
4 CUPS CANNED CHICKEN BROTH
4 CUPS CANNED BEEF BROTH
¼ C FRESH PARSLEY CHOPPED
1 T CHOPPED FRESH DILL, OR 1 TEASPOON DRIED

MELT BUTTER IN HEAVY LARGE DUTCH OVEN OVER MED- HIGH HEAT
ADD MUSHROOMS, CARROTS, CELERY,ONION AND BARLEY.
SAUTE UNTIL VEG.BEGIN TO BROWN, ABOUT 20 MIN.
ADD FLOUR TO POT AND STIR 5 MIN. GRADUALLY MIX IN BROTH.
BRING SOUP TO A BOIL, STIRRING FREQUENTLY. REDUCE HEAT TO MEDIUM AND SIMMER UNTIL BARLEY IS TENDER AND SOUP IS BEGINNING TO THICKEN, ABOUT 40 MIN.
MIX IN PARSLEY AND Dill
SEASON TO TASTE WITH SALT & PEPPER.