Green olive soup
This year's Christmas dinner menu included green olive soup. I've been making this for about ten years now. It is one of Lisa's favorite dishes and usually finds its way onto our special-occasion menu. I've got a sort of "take them or leave them" attitude toward the green olive. I'll eat them if put in front of me but I don't seek them out. Lisa on the other hand, is an olive fiend. They are her favorite pizza topping. So, this soups is great for anyone who loves green olives. This recipe is adapted from Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet.
Green Olive Soup
- 3 cups green olives, pitted
- 7 tablespoons olive oil separated (3 and 4 tablespoons)
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 6 tablespoons flour
- Black pepper to taste
- Tabasco sauce ( about 4 shots) to taste
- 1/3 cup dry sherry
First make a roux with the 3 tablespoons of flour and 4 tablespoons of olive oil added to a saute pan and cooked until it darkens. Make this roux first so that it will be cool when you are ready to add it to the soup.
Soak the olives in cold water for 1 hour (this helps to remove some of the salt). Drain and coarsely chop the olives. Heat a saute pan and add 3 tablespoons of oil, onion, and garlic, along with 2/3 of the olives. Saute until the onions are transparent. Puree the mixture in a food processor along with 1 cup of the stock. This much of the recipe can be made up to two days ahead if needed.
Place this mixture into a 4 quart saucepan and the rest of the stock. Simmer for 20 minutes and add cream. Whisk in the roux a little at a time and simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. Add pepper to taste and remaining chopped olives, Tabasco, and sherry.
Note: The olives in the recipe are not the kind stuffed with pimientos. These are difficult to find. I usually can't find them and end up buying the stuffed ones and removing the pimientos. This takes some time.
