5 Christmas soups from different countries. Traditions and recipes

Christmas soup traditions

A plate of hot soup for Christmas will be most welcome where winter is harsh or chilly. For example, in Finland, where creamy fish soup lohikeitto is traditionally prepared - a pound of salmon, one and a half kilograms of potatoes, leeks, dill and 30% cream - this is the basic set of hot meals that the Finns eat all winter, and holidays are no exception. There is a very similar recipe in Spain - porrusalda con bacalao. Only, as the name implies, cod plays the main role in it and white wine is added to the soup - for a brighter taste and a festive mood.

In the country of snow-capped mountains - Switzerland - winter holidays are unthinkable without fondue. In the winter season, this dish with melted cheese is the main hit of the local cuisine, and both tourists and natives alike eagerly eat it. But for Christmas in Switzerland, they prepare a special fondue, which can be considered a kind of soup - chinoise fondue, or fondue in Chinese. To begin with, a strong beef broth is cooked, into which garlic, lavrushka, cloves and, if desired, sprigs of rosemary and thyme are to be thrown. The aromatic brew boils for about an hour, after which a generous portion of cognac is poured into the broth and served on the table, and bowls with thinly sliced ​​raw meat and blanched vegetables - broccoli, carrots, asparagus are placed next to it. Everyone sits around the pot and dipped pieces of meat and vegetables in hot broth - a minute, and you're done, you can dip your piece in the sauce and put it in your mouth. Typically, tartare and curry are served with this fondue, but you can enhance the Asian accent and dip the meat in soy sauce or sriracha.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, ramen is traditionally eaten. The basic and most popular option is ramen with noodles, pork belly, eggs, soy sprouts, green onions, ginger, but other ingredients are often found in a festive dish. And for the New Year, the Japanese eat a special soup - zoni. It is boiled in fish broth and chicken breasts, potatoes, carrots, shiitake mushrooms and rice wine are added - nothing human is alien to the Japanese either.

The Greeks cannot imagine a Christmas table without a special holiday soup - avgolemono. It is prepared on the basis of beef broth with chicken fillet, eggs, rice and lemon juice. The consistency of avgolemono is somewhat reminiscent of risotto. The thick brew is sprinkled with fresh chopped herbs and begins the Christmas meal with it. By the way, avgolemono is often eaten cold.

In Poland, on the table on the bright holiday of Christmas, there must certainly be borscht with ears - beet broth with mini-donuts.

Borsch is also on the Russian festive menu. Previously, it symbolized victory over evil spirits and was lean - mushroom broth, beets and beet kvass. Another lean soup that should emphasize the strength of faith - cabbage soup - was cooked in mushroom or fish broth. There was no meat in either borscht or cabbage soup. But times are different now. And the richest and most satisfying Russian soup, which is traditionally eaten at Christmas, is cabbage soup with mushrooms and barley porridge. This soup is good even without meat.

5 recipes for Christmas soups

French quail soup Petite bain-marie

This soup owes its name to the dish in which it is traditionally cooked. Petite marmite - translated from French - small bowler hat. However, it doesn't matter in which pot you cook it, it is important that the soup is very rich and that your guests like it.

Serves 8, cooking: 5 h

What do you need:

• 4 large quails
• 3-4 small carrots
• 2 small parsnip roots
• 1 small bunch thyme
• lard or butter

For broth:

• 1 kg veal breast on the bone
• 1 kg of chicken drumsticks
• 1 large onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 parsley root
• half a head of garlic
• 1 tsp allspice peas
• 2 carnation buds
• salt

What to do:

1. For broth, preheat oven to 240 ° C. Place the brisket cut into 3-4 pieces, chicken legs, coarsely chopped onions, carrots, parsley root and garlic on a baking sheet, salt, bake for 15 minutes.
2. Transfer the contents of the baking sheet to a large saucepan and add 3 liters of cold water. Bring to a boil, season with salt, remove foam. Add salt and spices, cook over low heat for 2 hours.
3. Separate the meat from the bones and chop finely, return the bones to the broth, cook for another 2 hours. For 20 minutes. until the end of cooking, add the quail halves (removing the spine). Strain the broth, cool.
4. To serve, cut all vegetables lengthwise into pieces, brush with oil or fat. Grease the quail halves as well. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment, season with salt and pepper and bake at 160 ° C until soft and golden brown.
5. Heat the broth to a boil. Arrange vegetables and quails on warmed plates, top with very hot broth and serve immediately.

Italian soup with tortellini

This Italian soup is very similar to our broth dumplings. Very small dumplings in a very aromatic broth - all very tasty.

Serves 8-10, cooking: 1 h + 4 h

What do you need:

• 300 g pork pulp
• 100 g dry-cured ham
• 150 g mortadella sausage
• 80 g grated parmesan
• 1 egg С0
• 2 tbsp. l. butter
• 80 ml of dry white wine and chicken broth
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• nutmeg on the tip of a knife
• salt, freshly ground black pepper

For the test:

• 500 g flour
• 2 large eggs С0 + 6 yolks
• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 10 g salt

For filing:

• strong broth from homemade chicken

What to do:

1. For the dough, put all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender (with the motor running) in this order: flour - salt - eggs-yolks (one at a time) - olive oil - vinegar. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
2. For the filling, cut the pork into small pieces, salt, fry in oil with a sprig of rosemary, 5 min. Pour in wine and broth, simmer covered over low heat for 20 minutes. Evaporate liquid, remove rosemary, place meat in blender bowl.
3. Add finely chopped ham and mortadella and an egg. Grind until smooth. Add the parmesan and nutmeg, pepper and stir.
4. Roll out the tortellini dough with a pasta machine or by hand into 2 mm thick layers. Cut into 6–7 cm squares. Put a spoonful of the filling in the center of each, fold the dough into a triangle, pinch the edges, fasten the corners like a dumpling.
5. Bring broth to a boil in a large wide saucepan, lower tortellini and cook for 2-3 minutes. Place gently on deep bowls, pour over with hot broth.

Russian chowder with ham in a pot

Soup in Russia is not just soup: not a single dinner party could do without the first one. Prepare a hearty Russian chowder for Christmas for a festive meal.

Serves 8-10, preparation: 40 min. + 3 h

What do you need:

• 1.2 kg of Tambov ham on the bone and with skin or 700 g of ham pulp and 1 pork marrow with a little meat
• 600 g cabbage
• 6-7 medium carrots
• 2 small turnips
• 2 parsley roots
• 2 medium onions
• 2 heads of garlic
• 1 tbsp. l. mixture of peppers and peas
• 1 bay leaf
• salt

What to do:

1. Cut the ham from the bone, cut off the skin, put the bone and skin in a saucepan, pour 2.5 liters of water, bring to a boil, salt, reduce heat to low. Skim off the foam for 10-15 minutes.
2. Burn the onion over the fire, cut it in a crisscross pattern, place in the soup along with the chopped garlic, parsley root and peppercorns. Cook without a lid for 2 hours. Strain the broth.
3. Cut the cabbage into large slices, fold into one large pot or portion pots. Add peeled and coarsely chopped carrots and turnips, and coarsely chopped ham. Pour in the broth, close the lids and place in an oven preheated to 100-120 ° C for 1 hour.

English lentil soup with parsnips, apples and blue cheese

 Light, delicate, fragrant lentil soup will warm you in cold weather and give you a festive mood - it is also very beautiful.

Serves 8-10, preparation: 1 h

What do you need:

• 400 g red lentils
• 4-5 parsnip roots
• 4 sour apples
• 2 stalks of leeks (white part + 10 cm pale green)
• 2 medium onions
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 200 g of the fattest cream
• olive and butter
• salt, freshly ground black pepper

For seasoning:

• 300 g of the fattest cream
• 200 g stilton or other blue cheese

What to do:

1. Peel parsnips, onions, garlic and apples, chop coarsely, put in a parchment-lined dish, pour over with olive oil, salt and bake in an oven preheated to 200 ° C, 20 min.
2. In the meantime, cut the leek in half lengthwise, rinse from the sand, cut into thin half rings. Sauté the leeks in a heavy-bottomed saucepan in butter over medium heat, 5 minutes.
3. Add lentils, fry for another 5 minutes. Pour in 1.5 liters of cold drinking water, bring to a boil, salt, cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add all the baked vegetables to the pan (set aside apples for serving), bring to a boil again, cook for 15 minutes. Pour in the cream, salt, pepper, and puree with a blender.
5. For serving, crush the stilton, rub with 100 ml of cream until smooth. The remaining 200 ml of cream (they must be very cold) beat with a mixer until thick foam. Gently, in three steps, stirring with a spatula from bottom to top, stir in the whipped cream with the cheese mass.
6. Pour the soup into bowls, each with apples and - when the bowls are already on the table - a couple of tablespoons of the creamy dressing. Eat immediately.

American seafood chowder

Rich and very satisfying, chowder is perhaps the main American soup. At least for homemade American food. A great option for celebrating Christmas with a family.

Serves 8-10, preparation: 1 h

What do you need:

• 1 kg fresh or frozen vongole shells
• 600 g raw shrimp
• 400 g smoked fatty fish
• 5 medium potatoes
• 400 g frozen corn kernels
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 5-6 celery stalks
• 2 large onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 500 ml cream, 30-38% fat
• butter
• salt, freshly ground black and white pepper

What to do:

1. Disassemble the smoked fish into pieces, removing the bones and skin that need to be preserved. Peel the shrimp, do not discard the shells. Rinse the shells in plenty of water, discard all open ones, they are spoiled.
2. Place the shrimp shells in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and brown until red. Pour 2 liters of water, add the rest of the fish, salt, bring to a boil, cook for 30 minutes, strain.
3. Finely chop onion, celery and bell peppers, fry in butter over medium heat, 15 minutes. Peel the potatoes and garlic, cut into medium cubes, add to the onion, fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Put vegetables in broth, put fish, bring to a boil, cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Add shrimp and shells, as well as corn, pepper, cook for 5 minutes.
5. Pour in the cream, bring to a boil. Set aside 1/3 of the shellless soup in a bowl and puree with a blender, then return to the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.