Cream of ____ Soup - Best Ideas?

[Maya]

I have a LOT of cream left over from holiday cooking nad this time I'd rather not just let it go bad. I'm in the mood for soup, and have just made some delicious cream of sorrel soup with our own sorrel. Other than the obvious (broccoli) any other ideas for GREAT creamy soup?

[shanagain]

Oyster stew - so much better with cream than half& half.

[Sooeygun]

Cream of Ratatouille. Roast chunks onions, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, garlic. Smear with tomato paste and roast some more. Cook with veg/chicken stock, blend, finish with cream.

[mamachef]

Oh my goodness gracious me. I have never, EVER thought to do that, but it sounds astronimcal.

[Sooeygun]

It is quite lovely. I got the idea (I'd say recipe, but there's nothing written down) from a chef I worked with at a resort hotel. Of course, we were usually making it for 200+.

It's good served with a drizzle of creme fraiche.

[bushwickgirl]

This was in my inbox this morning and sounds appealing to me, a blue cheese lover; it's a different take on the ubiquitious cream of tomato soup, which I crave in the winter:

http://leitesculinaria.com/25547/reci...

[c oliver]

This sounds terrific. I recently had a tomato fennel soup in restaurant. I bought a bulb and it needs to be cooked SOON. This will be the recipe, adding the fennel. Thanks.

[roro1831]

Cream of brie and crabmeat soup

[c oliver]

Veggo's Shrimp Corn and Poblano Soup

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/669662

I've made this multiple times and just love it.

[CCSPRINGS]

Cream of roasted vegetable such as turnip, fennel, celery, potato. Make chocolate pudding too. Cant waste cream.

[jsantopietro]

Here's a potato-leek soup you could try:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/27576-creamy-potato-leek-soup?tag=search_results;results_list

or a creamy mushroom soup:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/27596-creamy-mushroom-soup-with-blue-cheese-toasts?tag=search_results;results_list

and clam chowder is always delicious. You could always substitute a white fish for the clams.
http://www.chow.com/recipes/10962-new...

Hope this helps!
Jill (from CHOW.com kitchen)

[4Snisl]

Turnips and/or rutabagas make delicious creamy soups!

[chefathome]

This is yummy and a little different than usual (but still simple!).

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/te...

Wild Mushroom with Parmesan Toasts
Cream of Roasted Butternut Squash with Spicy Pepitas

[foodie_guru]

Cream of Parsnip and Pears. Top with either frizzled leeks or dehyrdrated/dried pear slice.

[Veggie Liv]

Wow that sounds great! I had never really thought to use pears... just apples. I will have to give that a try.

[Jay F]

Frozen peas cooked in broth/stock/water, onion or shallot (saute in butter or not), curry powder. Finish in cuisinart (or with immersion blender) with fresh mint, then cream.

[chef chicklet]

Canned green chile or fresh roasted make a wonderful wonderful cream soup.
I make a simple one with broth, cream and spices. I'm devoting some time this winter and spring, to upscale or add flavor layers.

I've also always loved the creamy enchilada soup with chicken breasts topped with crushed tortilla chips.

[thymetobake]

Sweet potato chowder is really good. I make it with cubed, crunchy sausage, corn, green peppers, and parmesan cheese for the top.

We also like cream of green bean soup. Sounds weird but tastes a lot like cream of asparagus soup.

[buttertart]

The green bean one is good, you're right. Used to have it at a long-gone French restaurant in Toronto.

[thymetobake]

Really? And here I thought I had thunk that up. :-) I suppose not much is ever really a new recipe. Someone, somewhere, has done it before!

Can you remember, could you tell, what seasonings they used? When I make a batch of green beans I cook them with onion, garlic, and some cajun seasoning. Next day I puree in the food processor and add milk or cream, then heat and eat.

[buttertart]

That sounds very good. This was very mild, I think just leeks, potatoes, and green beans, with cream. They always had a cream soup and this one sticks out in memory because it seemed odd (and because my husband then hated green beans but loved the soup). (The restaurant - Monsieur Dray's - is a happy memory because my husband took me there for dinner on our first real date.)

[Emme]

i do green beans too! with caramelized onions, or sometimes shallots, garlic and a little yellow curry powder. garnish with some roasted mushrooms and thyme!

[onceadaylily]

CH ate my response! Drat. And again from the top!

A few weeks ago, I made a spicy cream of pumpkin soup that I am *still* thinking about. I used canned pumpkin, and wound up not doing the puree at the end. I was glad that I hadn't, because the silky chunks of onion (sauteed to golden before anything else was added to the pan), garlic and tomatoes made the soup far more gratifying than a puree would have been. I added a few spices that really made a big difference, and am hoping I managed to stop patting myself on the back long enough to write it down.

[InSearchOfTacos]

this sounds delicious! would you mind sharing a recipe?

[onceadaylily]

Happily, and it's a very easy soup to throw together.

6 TBS butter
6 C chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 TBS. garlic chile paste (you can use less if you don't want it as spicy)
1 large can pumpkin puree (the plain pumpkin, not the spiced pie mix)
6 C broth (I used equal measures of turkey stock and mushroom broth, but most recipes called for chicken broth, and many recipes called for around 8 cups of broth per one can pumpkin, which I thought was too much)
¾ C milk (I used half and half, and may have wound up using a bit more to get the color I wanted)
½ tsp. coriander
Powdered ginger (I think I used around a teaspoon)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper

Cook the onions in butter until nearly caramelized, then add the garlic, and cook one or two minutes. Add tomatoes, and garlic chile paste, and cook until the tomatoes soften. Add the pumpkin, milk, and seasonings, stirring well to incorporate. Add the broth, and bring to a boil, and simmer at least ten minutes (but I think I simmered it for a half-hour or so, simply because I had decided not to puree it, but wanted the onions to break down a bit more).

*Many recipes I looked at called for a bit of brown sugar to be added with the broth and spices, but I crossed it off of my note card, so I must have omitted it (I did not want the soup overly sweet). I also recall adding a pinch more of this and that as it simmered, and a bit of salt and pepper.

I hope you like it.

[InSearchOfTacos]

yum- thank you for sharing! how many ounces are usually in a large can of pumpkin puree? i know i have a few smaller cans lying around- may need to buy some more

[onceadaylily]

I think the larger cans are in the neighborhood of 28 oz. You could just use two of the smaller cans, adjust the seasonings by a very small amount, and then add the broth a bit at a time until you get the consistency you like.

[InSearchOfTacos]

finally made this (or rather, a pumpkin soup) and wanted to report back. onceadaylily, i used your recipe as a very rough guide but added leeks, fish sauce, spicy peanut sauce, and coconut milk instead of cream. im a very impatient cook and my method of cooking is 'taste and go' so more often enough i stop adding to a recipe when its just good enough but not amazing....which is what happened with this soup. it was too pumpkiny for me- today i reheated leftovers with lots of potato, more coconut milk, and more coriander, more leeks and it was much better.

i know you wanted ideas for using up excess cream, but this reminded me how much i LOVE using coconut milk in recipes instead of cream or milk.

[onceadaylily]

Oh, that's too bad. Mine wasn't overly pumpkiny at all. I think part of that I can attribute to the turkey stock (I used the low and slow oven method for the stock, and it was completely gelatinized, and very rich). But, looking back, I may have used more tomatoes than just the four, and included the juice. Mine seemed to be a nice balance between the pumpkin and tomato. I really have got to start annotating my recipes more faithfully!

And we always have a couple of can of coconut milk on hand. The Chaokoh brand is our favorite.

[mamachef]

That's my favorite too, oadl. Your soup sounds just wonderful. And re the coco milk, if you mix a can of it with TJ's green Thai curry, a squeeze or two of lime and sriracha, and pour it over chicken thighs and bake, then serve it with spinach/tomato rice with some chopped cilantro? Yummmmm. And EAsssssy!

[onceadaylily]

Ha, we're on the same page. We like it with TJ's red curry (we haven't tried their green yet). I'll bet your recipe would be good with shrimp as well. I'll keep the spinach in mind the next time I make Spanish rice. I'm getting a bit lax about eating veggies again . . . and it's not even the end of January yet.

[InSearchOfTacos]

oadl, im sure your pumpkin soup is lovely and well balanced- when i make this again (and i will since i have several cans of pumpkin left), ill try to follow the recipe :)

the tjs green and red curry sound fabulous and so easy! the next time i make a trip to tjs ill pick some up and play around- maybe tjs red curry + potatoes + coconut milk + pumpkin + peanuts ?

[onceadaylily]

Please don't let that read as a criticism on your taste or preparation! We all have our likes and dislikes, and offering both in the forum leads to a better judgment on the part of anyone reading. Maybe I just like a soup pumpkiny. ;)

We use the red with coconut milk and peanuts, along with tofu, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and occasional guest stars (a variety of onions, spices and herbs). The pumpkin is not a bad idea, especially considering that winter tends to leave our menu vegetable light and . . . pound heavy.

[goodhealthgourmet]

I'm getting a bit lax about eating veggies again . . . and it's not even the end of January yet.
~~~~~~~~~~
uh-oh, do we have to start a "winter vegetables" thread? ;) some inspiration here in the meantime...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/347938
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/751867
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/282382
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/471773

[onceadaylily]

I will peruse these threads. I do hope they will stop me from dreaming of the tomato.

Maybe one of these threads will tell me how to like the radish better. When I was home for Christmas, we went to a carry-out place that had nothing terribly healthy, and so I martyred up and ordered a dinner salad, and asked them to hold the radish (listed as an ingredient). When we got back the the in-law's, I opened my salad, and started laughing, and said, "I think I know why that guy was glaring at us through the service window." My salad was a pre-bagged mix, the kind that comes with shredded carrot and radish. That poor guy had to pick them off of my portion. My salad took so long to (dis)assemble, I think if I could like radishes, trips home would go more smoothly.

ETA: Ha ha! The first link has sauteed radishes! Oh, good god. That was funny.

[goodhealthgourmet]

ha! i was *just* about to open another window to pull up some of the sauteed/braised radish threads for you when i saw the end of your post! :)

[goodhealthgourmet]

just checked the large can i have on hand - 29 oz.

[Das Ubergeek]

Celery. Or celery root. Which ever you use, roast it first.

[blue room]

This is a detail, for sure, but if I roast the celery, should I allow it to brown? The browning could color the soup, if pale green is your goal. But it might taste different--better--if carmelized.

[Das Ubergeek]

To me it was more about concentrating the flavour... I don't let it brown (in fact I roast it very low and slow, usually 300º instead of 400º).

[BangorDin]

Classic Vichyssoise is made with cream, isn't it?

[mamachef]

I love cream of spinach, cream of asparagus, cream of artichoke and cream of zucchini. I can't handle full cream, so I start with a broth base and finish it with the cream. I also am not sure if anybody mentioned cream of tomato, which also will work with best-quality canned tomatoes, and of course corn chowder, clam chowder, shrimp bisque. Cauliflower with bacon and cheese is really really good too.

[chef chicklet]

I'm with you, I've found that a ton of cream isn't all that necessary for a creamy soup. As long as you develop great flavor depth and texture, you can add 2-5 tablespoons of cream and get the same deliciousness and mouthfeel.

[buttertart]

Potato or rice in with the veg makes it creamy-feeling even wthout cream (but I always add some). I used rice in my leek/watercress/chestnut soup for Christmas and really liked it, silky texture.

[goodhealthgourmet]

oats are great for silky/creamy soups too.

[buttertart]

Excellent idea, I can see they would be. Thanks.

[chef chicklet]

That's true. There's a leek and potato soup I make and I don't add cream to it. Never tried rice though. I just noticed an error in my additions of cream, I have added up to to 3 Tablespoons not 5 (might as well add half a cup then!) Cream has its own taste that makes everything taste just so darn good!

[DonShirer]

Cream of spinach with a few pureed carrots in it too.

[ccaldwe1]

The humble carrot makes a great cream soup, it gets rave reviews at my dinner parties all of the time--no one even realizes that carrots are the main ingredient.
Try this:

Cream of Carrot Soup

Serves 6 as a First Course

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups sliced carrots
¾ cups chopped onion
4 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup white rice
2 cups whipping cream
½ - 1 teaspoon chopped dill
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne
6 sprigs of dill for garnish

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add carrots and onion and cook for 10 minutes.

Add stock and rice. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes or till vegetables are tender.

Drain solids, reserving the liquid, and place the carrot mixture in the bowl of a food processor. Process till the consistency of fine baby food. This could take as long as 5 minutes.

Combine the puree mixture with the solids. (May be made ahead to this point. Refrigerate, or proceed as follows.)

Add cream and heat gently till very warm. Add dill, salt, and cayenne. If soup is too thick, thin with a little extra chicken stock.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with a sprig of parsley.

Serve immediately.

[sushigirlie]

It's the time of the year for pureed winter squash soups. I think they're lame, but lots of fancy restaurants serve them.

[arp29]

Corn and poblano chowder

[aandrews]

I made the cream of cauliflower soup from the Ad Hoc cookbook as a first course on NYE and it was really good.

[blue room]

Cream of chicken, tomato bisque, cream of vegetable (several different vegetables).

[MMRuth]

Cucumber.

[Maya]

Woah, this sounds great! Would you share the recipe?

[MMRuth]

It's from JC's "The Way to Cook" -- I'll try to post it tonight.

[muirne81]

Decadent but delish: lobster bisque. Also corn chowder w/shrimp.

Slightly off topic, but if you find yourself with cream on hand after two or three batches of soup, you can always make butter at home with nothing more than 10 minutes and a hand-mixer. It's yummy.

[schoenfelderp]

Second the Lobster Bisque, try The French Laundry's Creamy Maine Lobster Broth

[chef chicklet]

garbanzo bean with cream, serrano chili, cumin and sherry. great. make it in a snap.

[Maya]

This sounds great! I have a ton of garbanzos too. Could you provide some rough proportions? DO you leave any of the beans whole?

[chef chicklet]

http://www.chow.com/recipes/11248-spi...

2nd time/
Sorry about that!
I love this soup, I use canned garbanzo beans sounds like you have dried? I haven't tried it with that, but it can be done. I don't leave any whole, the soup is pureed with a stick blender or regular blender. Hope you enjoy it, its got lots of flavor that for sure!

[goodhealthgourmet]

parnsip.

or corn or NE clam chowder.

[buttertart]

Parsnip with a tsp of curry powder.

[goodhealthgourmet]

http://www.notdelia.co.uk/curried-cre...

great with a combination of carrots & parsnips too.

[buttertart]

Originated with the late, great Jane Grigson, my goddess.

[goodhealthgourmet]

not to get too OT, but have you ever made her sweet potato pie? i stumbled across the recipe once and saved it because it sounded great, but i haven't tried it yet...actually now that i think about it, that's not too OT because though it may not be a soup, the recipe calls for cream ;)

[buttertart]

No, I don't remember seeing a recipe for one of hers, seems very American.

[goodhealthgourmet]

actually, what i like about the recipe is that it's not the typical American sugar-bomb!

JANE GRIGSON'S SWEET POTATO PIE

Sweet short-crust pastry made with 250g (8oz) flour

250g (8oz) boiled, peeled sweet potato
100g (3-4oz) melted butter
100g (3-4oz) dark brown sugar
175g (6fl oz) single cream
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons brandy
Good pinch salt
100-150g (3-5oz) shelled walnuts

Line a 23 to 25cm (9 to 10in) tart tin with a removable base with the short-crust pastry. Sieve the sweet potato into a basin and beat in the remaining ingredients, in the order given, except for the walnuts. Chop one-third of the walnuts coarsely and add them to the mixture. Pour this into the pastry case and arrange the rest of the walnuts round the edge of the filling. Bake at 200C/400F/Gas 6 until the filling has risen and set. Test it with a warm metal knife or skewer. When it comes out clean, remove the pie from the oven. Allow 40 to 45 minutes.

[buttertart]

Hey, that would be good, I'm sure of it.

[rmurphy]

Curried Acorn Squash and Apple Soup.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/rec...

[greygarious]

Curried squash and apple soup is my favorite, but I would not like the recipe you linked. I follow the method I first saw on Marcia Adams' Amish Cooking from Quilt Country show many years ago. Sweat chopped onion in oil until starting to turn golden, then add garlic, chunks of peeled apple, and peeled sliced butternut squash; continue sauteeing until squash begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Make a bare spot on the bottom of the pan, sautee curry powder until it absorbs some oil and begins to bubble. Add the chicken broth and simmer 30 min. Puree, then blend in some cream to taste. I usually use Better than Bouillon chicken base but instead of diluting in water, I use a 2:1 ratio of water to apple cider.

For other cream soups, I'd suggest clam/fish chowder and cream of tomato soup. Also, alfredo sauce and a pink tomato sauce for pasta. Finally, cream freezes well.

[magiesmom]

mushroom, spinach, carrot, potato, leek or onion.