The winning recipes

Potato-Leek Soup

FOR THE SOUP

6 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled

8 leeks, white and light green parts only

1½ white onions, julienned

8 ounces (two sticks or 16 tablespoons) butter

5 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cups chicken stock

3 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

3 heads romaine lettuce

2 tablespoons clover honey

½ cup red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons white truffle oil

Kosher salt, to taste

FOR THE PURÉE

2 pints fresh raspberries, with 20 whole berries reserved for garnish

4 tablespoons butter

3 sprigs thyme

2 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt, to taste

Grains of paradise or black pepper, to taste

FOR THE GNOCCHI

3 sweet potatoes or enough to make 2½ cups cooked purée

1½ egg yolks, beaten

2 teaspoons truffle oil

½ cup plus 1½ tablespoons flour

Kosher salt, to taste

Nutmeg, to taste

Grains of paradise or black pepper, to taste

FOR THE SALAD

40 romaine circles, reserved from above

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

1½ tablespoons olive oil

Nutmeg, to taste

Grains of paradise or black pepper, to taste

Kosher salt, to taste

Make the soup: Put whole potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Season with kosher salt to taste and cook over medium-high heat until potatoes are softened but not cooked through. Remove from heat. Strain. Quarter the potatoes and set aside.

While the potatoes are par-cooking, put the leeks, onions, thyme and butter in a sauce pot and sweat (cook gently until soft and translucent but not browned) over low heat.

Add the potatoes and chicken stock to the pot with the leeks. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the stock is reduced by half. Add heavy cream and milk and continue simmering until the potatoes are fully cooked. Discard the thyme sprig and purée the rest in a blender until smooth.

While the potato-cream mixture is cooking, prepare the romaine. Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil. Using a small round cookie cutter or ring mold, punch out 40 quarter-sized circles of the romaine lettuce, including some stem and some leaf on each. Set aside these baby romaine leaves for the salad that garnishes the soup. Add the remaining romaine to the water and cook until completely soft. Chill in salted ice water, drain and purée in a blender until completely smooth, adding a little of the potato and leek purée if needed.

Combine the potato-leek and romaine purée. Whisk in the honey, red wine vinegar and truffle oil and season to taste with salt.

Make the purée: In a saute pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add raspberries (minus those for garnish) and thyme, and cook until they are completely broken down and their juice has reduced by half. Remove from the heat and discard the whole thyme sprig. Purée the berries in a blender with the honey and balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and grains of paradise. Cut the reserved raspberries in half and set aside for garnish.

Make the gnocchi: Place the whole sweet potatoes on a sheet tray and roast in a hot oven until completely tender throughout. Peel, place in the blender and purée until completely smooth. In a mixing bowl, combine 2½ cups of the sweet potato purée with yolks and the truffle oil. Add flour and remaining seasonings and mix to combine. Put the mixture in a plastic bag. Cut the tip off a corner of the bag, leaving an opening about ¼-inch wide. Pipe the mixture directly into boiling water, cutting the stream into lengths of 2 to 3 inches. You will need about 24 gnocchi. Wait for the gnocchi to boil. Use a slotted spoon to remove them to an ice-water bath to cool and firm. Remove from ice bath and trim the edges.

Make the salad: Toss the romaine circles with the vinegar, oil and seasoning. Set aside.

Assemble: In each bowl, layer a small spoonful of raspberry purée, three gnocchi, five raspberry halves and five dressed romaine circles. Grate a little fresh nutmeg and grind some grains of paradise (or black pepper) on the top. Pour about one cup of the hot potato-leek soup around the gnocchi-raspberry-romaine tower.

Makes 8 servings.

— Recipe adapted from and courtesy of Clayton Chapman, executive chef of Spencer's for Steaks and Chops, who won first place in blind judging at the Visiting Nurse Association's 2010 Art & Soup competition Sunday.

Tomato Curry Soup with Braised Lamb

FOR THE SOUP BASE

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, diced small

4 cloves garlic, minced

20 pounds fresh heirloom tomatoes, peeled and seeded

¼ cup sugar

½ cup balsamic vinegar

5 tablespoons curry powder

1½ tablespoons cumin

1 tablespoon coriander

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 tablespoon chili powder

FOR THE LAMB

5 pounds lamb sirloin (or other lean cut), cut into large chunks

½ cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup red wine

1 gallon beef stock

FOR GARNISH

Goat cheese crumbles

Chopped cilantro

Make the soup base: In a large stock pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes, sugar and dry spices. Simmer for five hours. Add the balsamic vinegar and simmer for another five hours, until reduced to 1 gallon.

Make the lamb: Massage the lamb with the tomato paste and the spices. Put seasoned lamb into a hot Dutch oven and brown on all sides. Add the garlic, onion, red wine and beef stock. Cover and braise in a 250-degree oven for eight hours. Pull or chop into smaller pieces.

Assemble: Put ¼ cup of braised lamb in each cup, top with soup and garnish with goat cheese crumbles and cilantro.

Makes 16 one-cup servings.

— Recipe adapted from and courtesy of Brooke Goracke, chef at M's Pub, who won second place in blind judging.

Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

½ large onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh garlic

Olive oil, as needed

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

2 pinches of cayenne pepper

½ cup sugar

1 28-ounce can Bellagio red roasted peppers, Italian style, drained and diced

4 cups chicken stock

¼ ounce (about 1½ teaspoons) fresh oregano

¼ ounce (about 1½ teaspoons) fresh thyme

4 cups heavy cream

Salt and white pepper

Puréed cranberry sauce (optional)

Frozen feta cheese crumbles* (optional)

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add red wine vinegar and orange juice. Add paprika, cayenne and sugar. Add peppers, stock and fresh herbs. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add some of the hot liquid to the cream to temper it. Then add the cream mixture to the pot. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Continue cooking until the soup reduces slightly and the mixture coats the back of a spoon, approximately 30 minutes.

Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper, to taste.

Serve hot in bowls with a swirl of puréed cranberry sauce and a sprinkle of frozen feta.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

*Note: For the competition, liquid nitrogen was used to flash-freeze the feta, removing some of its briny character and turning it into Dippin' Dots-like pebbles that stayed cold in the hot soup.

— Recipe adapted from and courtesy of Chris Swartz, a chef at Methodist Hospital, who won third place in blind judging.

Diablo Chicken and Rice Soup

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

¼ cup Cajun seasoning blend

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 ounces (1 stick, 8 tablespoons) butter

1 cup white wine

2 cups chicken stock

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup basmati rice, cooked according to package directions

½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup chopped grilled chicken breast

¼ cup cornstarch

Salt, to taste

Saute onion, celery, garlic, Cajun seasoning and cayenne in butter for 15 minutes over medium heat to soften vegetables well. Stir often to prevent sticking. Add with white wine and cook, stirring, until it has reduced by three-quarters. Add chicken stock and heavy cream.

Add basmati rice, chopped cilantro and chicken to the pot.

Mix cornstarch with enough water to form a slurry. (As an alternative, do like the chef and make a roux of equal parts flour and butter in a separate pot.) Fold in the slurry or roux and continue to cook and stir until thickened to your liking.

Adjust the seasoning with salt and more cayenne or Cajun seasoning, to taste.

Makes about two quarts or 8 servings.

— Recipe adapted from and courtesy of Jon Dye, executive chef at Absolutely Fresh Seafood, Shucks Fish House & Oyster Bar and Bailey's, who won first place in the “People's Choice” awards at the 2010 Art & Soup competition.

Arizona Chicken Soup

2 cups finely chopped onion

20 cups chicken broth

2 cups diced celery

½ teaspoon mashed fresh garlic

½ cup minced cilantro

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup chopped jalapeños

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup minced green scallions

½ cup minced pimentos

6 cups frozen corn, shredded

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

10 6-inch corn tortillas, minced

5 cups cooked black beans

5 cups cooked chili beans

5 cups finely diced grilled chicken breast

4 cups finely diced fresh tomatoes

16 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded

Salt, to taste

Sour cream, as needed, to garnish

Saute the onions. Add broth and celery and simmer over high heat for 20 minutes.

Add all other ingredients except for the chicken, tomatoes, cheese, salt and sour cream. Simmer for one hour.

Add chicken, tomatoes and cheese. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add water and salt to taste. Let rest one hour. Serve hot, with dollops or drizzles of sour cream.

Makes 10 to 15 servings.

— Recipe adapted from and courtesy of Cesar Martinez, chef at WheatFields Eatery & Bakery, who won second place in the “People's Choice” awards at the 2010 Art & Soup competition.

Thanksgiving in a Bowl

FOR THE SOUP

1½ to 2 pounds butternut squash

1 to 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 cup finely diced onions

½ cup finely diced celery

½ cup finely diced carrots

1 pound parsnips (medium, diced)

4 cups chicken broth

1 to 2 cups cream

¼ cup honey

Salt and pepper, to taste

FOR THE CROQUETTES

1 cup cream

¼ cup flour whisked into ¼ cup melted butter

2 cups finely chopped turkey

1 cup chopped fully cooked bacon

1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup flour (for breading)

1 large egg, beaten (for breading)

¾ cup Panko bread crumbs (for breading)

Vegetable oil (for frying)

FOR THE CRÈME FRAÎCHE

Zest of one lemon

2 teaspoons fresh orange juice

1½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream

¼ to ½ of a 12-ounce can of cranberry sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley or sage, to garnish

Make the soup: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean the squash by cutting in half lengthwise and removing the seeds and membrane. Place the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with oiled foil. Bake 45 minutes or until soft. Scoop out the squash and discard the skins.

Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot over medium heat and add the onions, celery and carrots. Saute until completely tender and the onions are transparent. Add parsnips with half the chicken broth and half the cream. Simmer 30 minutes. Once the parsnips are completely tender, add the squash to the pot with the remainder of the chicken broth. Heat for approximately 10 minutes. Purée using a countertop or an immersion blender. When fully puréed and smooth, add enough of the remaining cream to achieve the consistency you desire. Season with honey and salt and pepper to taste.

Make the croquettes: Heat cream to a boil and thicken it with the flour-butter mixture (roux). Set aside to cool. Combine turkey, bacon and sage in a mixer, adding the thickened cream slowly and mixing until the ingredients stick together or will form a ball when rolled. Season to taste. Roll the mixture into small balls and bread them with the flour, egg and Panko bread crumbs. Fry in hot vegetable oil until golden brown before serving.

Make the crème fraîche: Place the zest, orange juice and crème fraîche in a bowl and slowly add the cranberry sauce until you are satisfied with the strength of the flavor. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble: In each bowl, pour some of the hot soup, top with two or three croquettes and a dollop or drizzle of crème fraîche and garnish with chopped parsley or a fresh sage leaf.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

— Recipe adapted from and courtesy of David Rooney, sous chef at Catering Creations, who won third place in the “People's Choice” awards at the 2010 Art & Soup competition.

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