Soup Review—Chilled Edamame Soup with Ginger Creme Fraiche by Nobuo Fukuda

So, it's 20 degrees out and dropping and what do I decide to re-create but a chilled soup!?!? Created by renowned Chef Nobuo Fukuda, maybe it wasn't the best soup to review given the current temps, but one that was intriguing for its simplicity and use of ingredients that I happened to have in the house, except for the crème fraîche (more on that later). 

My version of the soup came out very differently than Fukuda's. First of all, I couldn't find the crème fraîche, but there is a good reason for that. Apparently crème fraîche is widely available in Europe and very rare to find here, expect for specialty stores, which my local grocer is not. Instead, I opted to use a combination of heavy whipping cream and buttermilk (see recipe below) that was supposed to create a thick cream, but instead I ended up with a thin liquid that looked like skim milk? I also noticed that Fukuda's soup came out a light brown and smooth, while mine came out looking green and chunky. I think this is the result of not using as much chicken stock (I had two cups worth and used water for the remaining, or maybe it could have been because I did not let the onions "brown" enough?) Either way I would still recommend trying out this soup for its incredible rich and nutty taste, but perhaps next time I would test it out during a time when you actually need "chilling" out, like in the summer.

                              Chef Nobou Fukuda's Chilled Edamame Soup 

                                          photo by Cedric Angeles  

                                       

Seriously Soupy's Chilled Edamame Soup

Chilled Edamame Soup with Ginger Crème Fraîche

Recipe by Chef Nobuo Fukuda from foodandwine.com

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame (10 ounces)
• Salt
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche (See subsituite recipe here, if you are unable to find creme fraiche)
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

Directions:


1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add 3 cups of the stock and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Add the edamame and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree the soup in a blender until very smooth. Transfer the soup to a bowl and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours.
2. Whisk the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock into the soup and season with salt. In a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche with the grated ginger. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with the ginger crème fraîche and serve.


Seriously Soupy Serena