When my husband Marc and I tried the first spoonful of this soup, we fell silent and closed our eyes. The delicate taste of the cardoons was perfectly balanced with the earthy flavor of the truffles, and the smoothness of the soup was superbly contrasted by their slight crunch.
It was heaven on a spoon!
Food & wine pairing: Alsace, Pinot Gris with cardoon soup
A full-bodied white wine that’s not too acidic is a must for this soup. I recommend either a Pinot Gris from Alsace or a Pouilly-Fuissé from Burgundy.
Cardoon soup with black truffle Carpaccio
serves 4
active time: 30 min
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium Vidalia or Spanish onion – skinned, quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves – skinned and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 8 oz (225 g) Yukon Gold potato (1 large) – peeled and cut in 1/2” cubes
- 2 1/2 lbs (1.1 kg) blanched cardoons
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 3 cups spring water
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 Italian parsley sprigs & 6 thyme sprigs – tied in a bundle with kitchen string
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
- half a 2.8 oz (79 g) jar Black Truffle Carpaccio or truffle oil as garnish
- 1/4 cup finely chopped chives as garnish
- Step 1: Heat a large heavy-bottomed soup pot at medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onion, stir well and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until just golden, stirring from time to time. Add the garlic and wine. Stir well and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the wine has reduced to a syrupy sauce and has almost all evaporated. Add the potato cubes, blanched cardoons, stock, water, salt, pepper to taste and herb bundle. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot and slow-simmer for 40 minutes until the cardoons are very tender. Remove the herb bundle and discard.
- Step 2: Purée the soup with a stick blender or food processor until very smooth. Strain in a medium sieve and return to the soup pot and gently reheat at medium heat. Add the crème fraîche and stir until well incorporated. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Ladle the soup into soup bowls, put a spoonful of black truffle carpaccio (or a spoonful of truffle oil) in the center, sprinkle with the chives and serve immediately.
- Cook’s note: You can replace the cardoons with frozen artichoke hearts. Use two 8 oz packages of artichoke hearts and reduce the water to 2 1/2 cups. Make the soup and strain exactly as for the cardoon soup.
Pingback: Cardon: Still looking for the perfect recipe. | Living In Geneva
Pingback: How to prepare & blanch cardoons | Food & Style
Pingback: 6 Amazing Spring Foods to Buy at the Farmers Market and Eat Right NowHospitalityWatch | HospitalityWatch
Pingback: 6 Amazing Spring Foods to Buy at the Farmers Market and Eat Right Now | Care2 Causes
Pingback: Showcook » AN ELEGANT EASTER SUNDAY BRUNCH
Looks delicious for this cold and wet day. Great photo’s!
Pingback: Prepping and blanching cardoons — food & style
Pingback: An elegant Easter Sunday brunch — food & style
Pingback: An elegant Easter Sunday brunch « food & style
I made a celeriac soup with a similar method.
Great pairing with the truffle carpaccio! I’m a fan.
LL
Award goes to you for teaching me about cardoons, a plant I never knew existed. I must try this out!
I have actually never tried cardoons but would love to try this veloute. Lovely!
P.S. Love the wine pairing tip!
I have not been able to find cardoons locally in Chicago this year – I will be on the lookout, though!
So rich and beautiful. How fitting that it’s served in a golden bowl!
Pingback: Prepping and blanching cardoons « food & style
Oh my goodness – I need some of that! The first time I ever tasted a black truffle was on the Rue du Cherche Midi in a delightful Italian restaurant. It was shaved over pasta and my life has never been the same. Occasionally I see them and want to buy them, but can’t justify the purchase because I don’t know how best to highlight them. Looks like I just got my answer!
What a delightful post!
I live in Geneva, Switzerland, and we eat cardoon gratin at Christmas. This is a custom very specific to Geneva, and many people refer to cardoons as “Geneva cardoons.”
The addition of the truffles sounds delicious and I love your explanations and photos! Bravo.
This looks so light and flavorful and I love how you pair the wine with the soup.
I like it. I’m going to try…
Looks divine!
viviane,
This is fantastic, a good one for the holidays!!
My hubs will appreciate the wine!