Cooking With Campiche: Chilled vegetable soup

Use leftovers to craft a comforting vegetable soup.

I enjoy inventing clever ways of preparing and savoring bits and pieces from the last night’s dinner — a roast beef sandwich, leftover mac and cheese or cold broccoli.

I often concoct a bisque from leftover veggies. The blender is a true friend for this meal. This recipe is cheap and satisfies even the most strident meat-and-potatoes guy.

Here is an instance of pureeing leftover pieces of broccoli, potatoes and garden kale, a bit of spice (ancho chili powder) or curry paste with homemade stock. The stock is essential for the most favorable taste. The cream thickens and adds to the stock. Coconut milk is a good alternative. This is a chilled soup for a hot summer day.

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of cooked broccoli

• 1 pound of cooked potatoes

• One red bell pepper, medium diced

• One carrot, in 1/2-inch slices, parboiled

• Six to eight kale leaves, stems removed

• 1 tablespoon finely-diced ginger

• Several sprigs of fennel leaf

• 1 tablespoon curry paste

• 2 quarts homemade veggie or chicken

stock

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon plain yogurt (or creme

fraiche) for garnish

• Chopped parsley or cilantro for

garnish

Preparation

A food processor is an essential tool for this recipe. Even an immersion blender does the trick. Sweat the kale and fennel in a 1/2 cup of boiling white wine. Chop the red bell pepper into medium-sized pieces.

Blend all the ingredients in the food processor and puree until smooth, for about one minute. Add salt and pepper. Refrigerate to serve later, hot or cold.

A summer salad is nice on the side, or perhaps parmesan toast — toasted bread wiped with a raw clove of garlic and sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese. Put it back under a broiler for a minute, or serve with a croissant and brie cheese.

David Campiche is a potter, poet, writer and lifelong resident of the Long Beach Peninsula. His novel “Black Wing” is now available in bookstores.

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