Free The Essential James Beard Cookbook by James Beard Page B

spinach, another zucchini, and a few leftover cooked chickpeas. I added a bit of grated lemon zest and a touch of onion about 10 minutes before serving.
    For lunch on the following day I had the soup cold with a dollop of crème fraîche.
    Finally , on the fourth day, I added 2 or 3 peeled and diced beets, another cup of cabbage, 3 or 4 more mushrooms, and a little vegetable broth from vegetables I had cooked for lunch.
    Of course, if you have some chicken or vegetable stock you can add it to your soup. The secret is to have variations of color and texture and flavor.
    AVGOLEMONO
    (EGG-LEMON SOUP)
    MAKES 6 SERVINGS
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    Editor: The eggs give this famous Greek soup a luscious creaminess, and the lemon is bracingly tart, making it a perfect light first course. To make it more substantial, add chopped cooked chicken and shredded leaf spinach.
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2 quarts Chicken Stock
½ cup long-grain white rice
Kosher salt to taste
2 whole eggs plus 2 large yolks
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
    Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot and add the rice. Simmer until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and add salt, if needed; this will depend on how seasoned the stock is.
    Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl until light and frothy. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice.
    Add a cup of the hot broth to the mixture, little by little, whisking it in until well blended, then slowly add the mixture to the pan, stirring constantly. Heat through, stirring, but do not allow to overheat or come to a simmer or the eggs will curdle. The soup should be lightly and delicately thickened, of a thin custard-like consistency.
    GARBURE BASQUAISE
    MAKES 8–10 SERVINGS
    A hearty soup-stew from the Basque country, which combines beans, other vegetables, and ham. It can be varied in all kinds of ways by adding leftover meat or poultry. Serve it with crusty French bread.
1 pound dried white navy beans
½ pound split green or yellow peas
1 ham bone, with meat
1 medium yellow onion, stuck with 2 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
3 quarts water
Kosher salt
6 red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small pieces
4 white turnips, peeled and cut into small pieces
4 carrots, sliced
4 leeks, white and pale green part only, well washed and sliced
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 links sweet Italian sausage
1 small cabbage, cored and shredded
Grated Gruyère cheese, for serving
    Put the beans and split peas in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let stand 1 hour. Drain. Put in a large, deep pot with the ham bone, onion, bay leaves, and 3 quarts water, and cook until the beans are just tender, but not mushy, 1 to 1½ hours, adding salt, if needed (if the ham is salty, it may not be necessary). Strain the beans over a bowl, reserving the liquid, and remove meat from the ham bone; discard the bone, onion, and bay leaves. Return the bean liquid to the pot with the potatoes, turnips, carrots, leeks, garlic, and thyme, and cook until tender, about 25 minutes.
    Prick the sausages with a fork and cook in a skillet with water to cover for 10 minutes to draw out the fat. Add the cabbage, beans, ham, and drained sausages to the soup. Cook until the cabbage is just done and the soup thick enough to almost hold a spoon upright, about 20 minutes. Serve in bowls or deep soup plates, sprinkled with the cheese.

    GARLIC SOUP
    MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
    Don’t be alarmed by the quantity of garlic called for here. After garlic had been cooked slowly for a certain length of time it loses its harshness and becomes quite delicate. The beautiful flavor of this soup is something that could never be achieved with garlic powder. So don’t even think about it.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, or, preferably, rendered chicken, goose, or pork fat
30 peeled garlic cloves, more or less, to taste
6 to 8 cups Chicken Stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
4 or 5 large egg