Chilled Celery Watercress And Fennel Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add celery, onion, fennel, garlic and ginger. Cover pot. Cook until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add broth and wine. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in watercress. Let stand 5 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of yogurt, if desired.

Steps:

• Wash leek well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain.
• Cook celery, onion, and leek in oil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients (vegetables may not be fully submerged) and simmer, covered, until celery and potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Purée in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids, then discarding them. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold. Season with salt. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Steps:

• In large covered saucepan simmer potatoes in chicken broth and wine until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in large skillet over medium heat, sauté celery, fennel slices, and onion in olive oil until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Mash potatoes right in the broth mixture in the saucepan with a masher.
• Stir in celery-fennel mixture. Heat through. Season with pepper and salt.
• Chop reserved fennel tops and use to garnish each serving.

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy saucepan.
• Add fennel and onion, cook over medium heat until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add potatoes, stock and parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns and thyme enclosed in a small cheesecloth pouch.
• Simmer 30 minutes, then remove herb pouch.
• Pass soup through food mill or puree until smooth in a food processor or blender.
• Pour puree into a clean saucepan, bring back to boil and correct seasoning.
• Add cream and chopped parsley.
• Place bunch of watercress in boiling water for 3 to 5 seconds then plunge in cold water.
• Drain, cut leaves from stalks, chop roughly, and add to soup.
• Place soup in a heated tureen, garnish with additional chopped parsley, and serve.