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Esoup, 75 Jones Avenue, Rochester, NY (2026)

09/15/2023

Cauliflower Broccoli Cheese Soup🍲🍲🍲

-Cauliflower broccoli cheese soup is a creamy and hearty soup that combines the flavors of cauliflower, broccoli, and melted cheese for a comforting and delicious meal.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup small cauliflowerets
3/4 cup small broccoli florets
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup halved thinly sliced carrot
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups 2% milk, divided
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cubed Velveeta

Directions:

-In a large saucepan, cook the cauliflower, broccoli, onion and carrot in butter until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1-1/4 cups milk, bouillon, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

-Combine the flour and remaining 1/4 cup milk until smooth; add to saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat; add cheese and stir until melted. Serve immediately.

07/04/2023

Swiss Cheese Soup❤️❤️

-This hearty soup, a year-round favorite in the Alps of southern Switzerland, gets its name from the mountain huts where it is frequently prepared. This variation, which typically includes regional cheeses, is strengthened with L'Etivaz and heavy cream. L'Etivaz can be obtained in speciality cheese shops. If L'Etivaz is unavailable, use Gruyère in its place.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
2 large carrots, finely diced
1 large leek, trimmed, rinsed well, and finely chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
2 1⁄4 cups milk
2 small white potatoes, such as Charlotte variety, peeled and grated (7 oz.)
1⁄3 tightly packed cup thawed frozen spinach, squeezed of excess water and finely chopped (2 3/4 oz.)
2 cups grated L'Etivaz cheese
1⁄3 cup heavy cream
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

-In a medium Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 minutes. Add the stock; bring to a boil. Add the milk and potatoes, and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and let simmer 20–25 minutes. Add the spinach and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cheese and let melt, about 30 seconds. Stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

05/18/2023

Tomatillo Tortilla Soup❤️❤️

-A zesty, colorful tomatillo soup made with roasted tomatillos and peppers, rich homemade chicken stock, and crunchy fried tortilla strips.

Ingredients:

For the chicken stock:

5 pounds chicken drumsticks
sea salt
3 tablespoons heat-tolerant oil like grapeseed, divided
2 medium-sized yellow onions, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
4 carrots, peeled and rough chopped
4 celery stalks, rough chopped
1 bunch parsley stems (if you have them)
2 bay leaves (fresh, if possible)
10 peppercorns
4 quarts water

For the tomatillo tortilla soup:

6 cloves garlic
1 quart tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed well
1 yellow onion, trimmed, peeled, and quartered
2 Cubanelle peppers (or Anaheim)
2 poblano peppers
1 jalapeño pepper
1 serrano pepper
4 cups chicken stock
sea salt
6 corn tortillas, cut into strips
neutral, heat-tolerant oil for frying tortillas
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup crema (Mexican sour cream)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
crumbled cotija cheese (optional)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425° F.

-Sprinkle chicken legs all over with sea salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil in a roasting pan and arrange chicken legs on top. Roast chicken for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted parallel to the bone reads 165° F. (Check chicken for doneness at the 20-minute mark.)

-Reserve 1 pound cooked chicken for the soup: Cover and put in the fridge until needed. Set roasting pan aside to cool.

-Meanwhile, set a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, and then onions. Sauté until soft, 7 minutes or so, then add all remaining ingredients but the water. Continue to sauté, stirring often, until vegetables soften and wilt, about 10 minutes.

-Add roasted drumsticks, scraping any accumulated juices or brown bits in as well. Add the water. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn heat to medium-low (enough heat to produce a gently bubbling simmer). Add sea salt sparingly—just enough to bring out flavors. Cook until chicken meat falls off the bone, 2 to 3 hours.

-Using a fine mesh strainer, strain mixture into jars. Set aside to cool, then seal and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Stock can also be frozen for up to 6 months.

-Set broiler to high.

-Trim woody base from garlic cloves, then lightly smash with the side of a knife. Leave papery skin intact.

-Arrange garlic, tomatillos, onion, and peppers on a rimmed baking sheet. Set under the broiler. Check every few minutes. Use tongs to set any tomatillos that have burst in a bowl, turn the peppers, and grab any garlic that's starting to blacken. Continue until all the vegetables have roasted nicely, 10 to 15 minutes total.

-Set pan aside to cool. Under cold running water, remove the skin, stems, and seeds from the peppers.

-Place all of the roasted vegetables in the pitcher of a blender (you may need to do this in two batches), add 2 cups chicken stock, and pulse until mixture is well blended, but still has a bit of texture. (Use caution if mixture is hot.)

-Pour into a sturdy pot and set over medium-low heat. Add 2 cups remaining chicken stock, stir, and then add sea salt to taste.

-Pull chicken meat from reserved roasted drumsticks, set in a small dish, and warm in the oven.

-Meanwhile, set out a deep-frying pan and pour in neutral oil to 1-inch depth. Set over medium/medium-high heat. Fry tortilla strips until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Set cooked strips on a stack of paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt. (You can also skip the frying and use high-quality tortilla chips instead—but be mindful that store-bought chips can be very salty.)

-Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with tortilla strips (or chips), chicken, avocado slices, a drizzle of crema, cilantro, and cotija. Serve soup with a lime wedge.

04/03/2023

Chicken, tomato and coconut noodle soup❤️❤️

-This crowd-pleasing soup with vermicelli noodles and chicken is ideal for any occasion.

Ingredients:

30g unsalted butter, chopped
2 tbs grapeseed oil
4 eschalots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, plus 1 extra clove, chopped
3cm piece (15g) ginger, finely chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, finely chopped
700g chicken thigh fillets, cut into thick strips
5 ripe vine-ripened tomatoes (750g), coarsely chopped
400ml coconut milk (we used Woolworths Macro coconut milk)
4 cups (1L) chicken stock
1/4 cup (60ml) fish sauce
2 tsp caster sugar
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, coarsely chopped
Rice vermicelli noodles, lime cheeks & Thai basil leaves, to serve

Directions:

-Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add eschalot, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and a pinch of salt flakes. Cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until eschalot has softened.

-Add chicken and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring regularly, for 4-5 minutes until golden. Stir in curry paste and tomato. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring to coat. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce and sugar, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until thickened and slightly reduced.

-Stir through lime juice, coriander and extra garlic, and remove from the heat. Add a little more fish sauce, to taste, if required. Serve with vermicelli noodles, lime cheeks and basil.

01/24/2023

Sweetcorn soup❤️❤️

-Served with a spicy salsa of red pepper, lime, and coriander, this vegan corn soup has flavors of lemongrass and coconut.

Ingredients:

6 corn on the cobs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 long shallots, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, bashed
2 lime leaves
400g coconut milk
300ml vegetable or chicken stock

Directions:

-Hold each of the 6 corn cobs upright on a chopping board and carefully cut off the kernels with a sharp knife. Heat the oil over a medium-low heat in a pan and fry the shallots and celery for 8-10 mins or until soft but not golden. Add the sweetcorn kernels, lemongrass and lime leaves, and cook for a further 5 mins. Add the coconut milk and stock, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 mins or until the kernels are tender, then season well. Fish out the lime leaves and lemongrass, and blitz with a stick blender until smooth and creamy. Check for seasoning. Put back on the heat and keep warm.

-For the salsa, brush the remaining corn cobs with the olive oil and put under a hot grill. Cook for 10 mins, turning frequently, until charred and starting to blacken. Remove the corn kernels as in step 1. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients with a pinch of salt.
SALSA
2 corn on the cobs
2 tsp olive oil
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 lime, juiced
coriander, finely chopped, plus a few leaves to serve
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

12/23/2022

Vegetable Wonton Miso Soup❤️❤️

-Here, I audaciously combine Chinese and Japanese (or other) flavors by throwing wontons into a miso soup (of sorts). Okay, so it would be comparable to comparing Switzerland and Sweden (God knows all Swedes and Swiss have been there). I'm to blame, and I'm enviously planning a good foodie holiday to Asia where I can learn everything there is to know about mixing spices and preparing soup.

Ingredients:

For the wontons:

1 packet gyoza or wonton skins
1 cup baby spinach leaves, washed
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 piece (2 centimeters) ginger, peeled and grated
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce or other chili sauce

For the finished soup:

1 large piece (3 to 4 centimeters) ginger, peeled
4 cups vegetable and/or miso broth (I used a combination of both)
3 to 5 (depending on size) dried shiitake
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Sriracha hot sauce, chili powder, soy sauce, sesame, vinegar and other condiments – to taste other additions, like ramen noodles, extra shiitake, carrots (julienned), spinach leaves or snap peas
2 bok choy
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
2 spring onions, finely sliced

Directions:

-Start by defrosting the wonton or gyoza skins, if frozen.

-Prepare the filling: Wash and pick over the spinach leaves and put in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let wilt for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, squeeze out to remove any excess water, and pat dry. Chop very finely and put in a bowl. Add the finely chopped shiitake, garlic, ginger, and spring onions. Season with soy sauce and Sriracha to taste. The filling shouldn’t be too moist, but the soy sauce adds a lovely flavor.

-Keep the wonton skins covered with a moist kitchen towel so they don’t dry out. Take one skin at a time and place a teaspoon of filling in the middle. Brush the rim of the skin with a wet finger, then fold the dumpling to a half moon shape, removing any excess air from the inside out as you go. Take the dumpling in your hands and fold in little “pleats” now (besides looking neat, they also add extra stability). You might want to make around 6 to 10 dumplings per person, depending on what other additions—like ramen noodles or vegetables—you plan on adding to your soup.

-Spread the finished dumplings on a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate until ready to use. You can also freeze them at this point, for later usage.

-Start by julienning the ginger. Add it to a large pot together with the vegetable broth and/or miso broth (I used about half and half of each) and the dried shiitake (you'll remove these after cooking). Bring to a boil. This is the basis for the soup that you can now refine, to taste, with soy sauce (for saltiness), Sriracha, or chili powder (for spiciness) etc. Keep the bok choy, julienned carrots and sliced spring onions at the ready as soup additions.

-To finish the soup, quickly blanch (in simmering—not boiling—water) the wontons in batches (cook only the ones you will need for your first serving of soup). They’re ready when they float on the top, which takes about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully remove them with a slotted spoon or spider spoon and keep ready on a wooden board (careful, they are quite sticky when blanched) or divide between the bowls. Shortly before serving, add the bok choy and carrots to the broth and heat through, just a few seconds. Ladle the broth into the bowls, adding the vegetables and place the dumplings on top (some might drown, others float on the top, neatly). Sprinkle with spring onions and serve hot.

-I always serve the condiments on the side for my guests to customize and refine their soup according to their taste. The things that are essentials for a good Asian (Chinese-Japanese fusion, let's say) broth according to me are: soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Sriracha, chili powders (I have them in various heats and colors, even a black one that is very fancy and evil looking), sesame seeds and sesame oil, miso powders, and maybe even pickled ginger. You can even put bowls of scallions, sprouts, blanched edamame, shiso sprouts, or herbs (cilantro is nice) on the table for the guests to pick their favorites. For a different—and particularly hearty—version, add some noodles to the dumpling soup. I like rice noodles, udon, or soba, but my favorite is the rumpled and nest-like ramen (the egg yolk-yellow type). You can pick them up at a well-stocked delicatessen or Asian market. They’re usually ready in a couple of minutes.