Category Archives: 2. Soups

Velouté de champignons

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Meg

Let’s see off the winter with a bowl of creamy mushroom soup, a classic French recipe lightened in this version by using a mixture of cream and milk instead of pure cream. A dash of lemon juice adds tang, and … Continue reading →

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Soupe aux lentilles corail

Posted on November 8, 2024 by Meg

An earthy soup of red lentils with coconut milk will brighten your table in these dreary days of November. In Paris, where’s its been gray and cold for weeks, we actually had November in October and now we’re having December … Continue reading →

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Aïgo boulido

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Meg

French garlic soup from Provence is called aïgo boulido, which translates amusingly as ‘boiled water’. Well, you can believe me — it’s a lot tastier than hot water. The garlic is boiled until soft, allowed to steep with fresh sage, … Continue reading →

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Soupe patates douces-poireaux

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Meg

A nice warm bowl of silky-smooth soup of sweet potato and leek with coconut milk, lime juice and spices might be just what the doctor ordered as we head into December. I came up with this one when a glitch … Continue reading →

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Minestrone à la française

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Meg

You don’t need to live along the French-Italian Mediterranean rim to enjoy a summer vegetable soup topped with parmesan and fresh basil. This version omits the beans and pasta but is otherwise rather similar to both Italy’s minestrone and Provence’s … Continue reading →

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Chaudrée de palourdes

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Meg

I tried this clam chowder at the Hog Island Oyster Co. in Napa, California, and when I finished it I knew I needed the recipe. What I didn’t know is that chowder, an American dish, has French roots — or … Continue reading →

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Soupe glacée aux courgettes

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Meg

What could be better when the temperature soars than a zingy cold soup? This one combines zucchini with tiny lentils, Indian flavorings and mint, and can be topped with coconut milk and/or any number of embellishments. The idea for it … Continue reading →

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Potage Parmentier

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Meg

Hiding beneath its rather grand name, potage Parmentier is familiar to every child in France as potage poireaux-pommes de terre, or creamy leek-and-potato soup. It takes its name from Antoine Parmentier, who won royal approval of the potato (seriously!) on … Continue reading →

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Soupe provençale au basilic

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Meg

This zingy soup came about thanks to a visit I made to Provence last summer. While staying with friends in St-Rémy during a break between lockdowns, I came across an old cookbook of regional dishes and was intrigued to see … Continue reading →

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Soupe de pois cassés

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Meg

This is a French take on that cold-weather classic, split pea soup. A traditional dish in Alsace, where it is known as as erbsesupp, it has a smoky flavor, imparted by bacon, while a drizzle of cream lends a soothing … Continue reading →

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