Edition: U.S. / Global

Full-Bodied, Full-Flavored Soups, Without Stock

Published: March 12, 1997

FOR harried people, the trouble with soup is that it often calls for stock. And making stock takes time. Canned stocks and stock cubes are usually unsatisfactory. Historically, most people couldn't afford animal stocks, which lead to the creation of many full-flavored soups that can be made with no stock at all.

There are legume, grain and vegetable potages (pureed soups), and minestrones meant to fill with flavor rather than with animal protein. Garlic alone can give flavor and body to soups. Fish and seafood stocks are rarely an issue because these ingredients make broths on their own.

The scallop and endive soup here is an elegant creamy starter that uses the sweet, briny flavor of the scallops, reinforced by the sweetness of shallots and balanced by the acidity of white wine -- a Sancerre, a Muscadet or a pinot grigio do well. The endive's slight bitterness completes the flavors and adds crunch.

The celery soup with lima beans, asparagus and peas is a more festive all-vegetable soup that relies on a surprisingly full-flavored and simple celery base. Consider making more than is needed and freezing it. The soup is very pretty with its shades of green, and can be made even more vernal using young fava beans instead of the limas and searching out young asparagus and fresh peas.

The quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) soup takes the most time, has the most elements and is a deeply satisfying representative of that group of soups made primarily of grain, like the spelt, or wheat, soups of Sicily and the rice congee of China, or the legume soups like lentil. This soup is from Ecuador, where soup is the national dish. The combined flavors of the quinoa, annatto and peanuts are surprisingly complex.

In Ecuador, the soup would be made with lard -- a staple in every kitchen -- rather than butter, but it was avoided here so that it would be easier for most cooks to prepare.

Combining a grain with potatoes is common in Italy and even more ubiquitous in Ecuador, where as many as 25 varieties of potatoes, young and spurting juice under a fingernail, can be found in the market at any one time. For this soup, it is best to use a firm waxy potato that will not dissolve totally when simmered.

Celery Soup With Lima Beans, Asparagus and Peas

Total time: 1 hour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 large bunches celery, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch lengths

1 10-ounce package frozen baby lima beans, defrosted under warm running water

2/3 cup shelled peas or frozen baby peas, defrosted under warm running water

1 small bunch asparagus, woody portion of stem snapped off, remaining portion peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths

3 heaping tablespoons very thinly sliced scallion greens

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons finely chopped celery leaves

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dill fronds.

1. To make the soup base, place two cups water and the salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the celery. Return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes. Pass through the medium disk of a food mill or puree in a blender (if using a blender, work in a few small batches so the hot celery puree doesn't burst out of the top).

2. To make the soup, in a medium saucepan bring the celery base to a boil. Add the lima beans and cook for 1 minute. Add the peas and asparagus. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the scallions. Cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Season with pepper. Stir in the celery leaves and dill. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 generous first-course servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 180 calories, 1 gram fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 1,415 milligrams sodium, 11 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrate.

Scallop and Endive Soup

Total time: 45 to 50 minutes

2 pounds sea scallops, small connective muscle removed and reserved

3 medium shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 cup white wine

3 large endive, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup tarragon leaves

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

1. Place the connective muscle from scallops, the shallots, the wine, and 3 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and discard the solids.

2. Pour the liquid into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the endive and return to a boil. Add the scallops and the tarragon, stir once to separate the scallops. Return barely to a simmer without stirring.

3. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream to the soup. Add cornstarch to the remaining heavy cream. Ladle a few spoons of the hot soup into the cornstarch mixture; stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the soup, stirring gently to incorporate. Cover the pan and return to a boil. Uncover, lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 8 first-course servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 235 calories, 12 grams fat, 90 milligrams cholesterol, 795 milligrams sodium, 20 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrate.

Quinoa Soup

Total time: about 2 hours

1 cup shelled peanuts (about 1/2 pound unshelled), optional

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons annatto seeds (about 1/2 ounce)

2 large onions, peeled and finely diced

5 large garlic cloves, smashed, peeled and chopped

1 1/3 cups quinoa, rinsed well in sieve

3 medium white potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch dice (optional)

1 12-ounce package fried pork rinds (optional)

2 cups milk

3 springs cilantro

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

1. To prepare the peanuts, rub off the skins. They can be made ahead of time, or while the soup is cooking. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a shallow baking dish toast peanuts in middle of oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until a shade darker, being careful not to burn them. Cool peanuts completely and in a food processor, pulse until ground fine. (Do not grind to the point when oil is released.) Set aside.

3. To make annatto butter, cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into 2 pieces. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over very low heat and add annatto seeds. Cook mixture, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes and strain through a fine sieve into a glass jar. Discard the seeds.

4. To make the soup, while the annatto butter is cooking, place the remaining butter into a medium stock pan over low heat to melt. Add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 15 minutes. Add the annatto butter, stirring until melted.

5. Add the quinoa, 2 quarts of water and potatoes, if using, to the pan. Cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

6. If using the pork rinds, add them now. Either way, continue to simmer for 30 minutes.

7. Add the milk, cilantro, salt and pepper. If using the ground peanuts, add them now. Reduce heat to very low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings.

NOTE: Annatto seeds are available at Hispanic markets and specialty food shops.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 255 calories, 8 grams fat, 19 milligrams cholesterol, 710 milligrams sodium, 8 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrate.

Drawing (Nick Dewar)