The Culinary Architect: Throwing a New Year’s Day soup party

Alexandra Troy

When I was growing up, every New Year’s Day, the Troy’s had their “Open House Soup Party.” 

It brings back fond memories.  We all would spend Dec. 31 setting up for the party and making big pots of soup.  

I have taken the recipes and made them much less time consuming to prepare, but just as delicious.

Start out by making the slow cooker chicken stock. Because we are all much busier than we were in the ‘70s,  the stock may be made ahead of time, when you have a free afternoon, or even overnight wile you are sleeping, and frozen. Make two pots of soup and prepare and refrigerate all of your toppings in their serving containers. I use white ramekins.  

Add a salad and crusty bread and you round out the meal. 

New Year’s Day,  fill a tub with ice and set up the Champagne as “help yourself,” add some bottles of sparkling water to accommodate your guests who overindulged the night before. 

Gently warm the soups  on the stove. 

To make it really easy, turn your kitchen counter into a buffet and let guests help themselves leaving you to be the host and hostess with the mostest. 

A wonderful way to ring in The New Year. Maybe it will become a tradition in your home too.

Menu

Serves Approximately 18 People

Champagne*

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

Chunky, Mixed Vegetable Soup

New Year’s Black Eyed 

Pea Soup

Toppings

Salad with Vinaigrette 

Dressing on the side*

Crusty Bread*

Assorted Cookies*

*Recipe not given

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

This recipe is the basis for the

following soups

1 large chicken (4 to 6 lbs.),

cut into pieces

1 head celery, cut into large

pieces

3 large carrots, peeled and 

cut into chunks

2 onions or leeks, quartered

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley

Sea salt and black pepper, 

to taste

1.  Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and add enough water to fill three-quarters full.  Cook 12 hours on LOW or 8 hours on HIGH.

2.  Strain out solids, cool and refrigerate 12 hours.  Skim off and discard any fat on top of stock.

3.  Refrigerate or freeze for future use.

Chunky, Mixed Vegetable Soup

This is a very forgiving recipe.  You may use a combination of vegetables of your choice. ie, butternut squash, cauliflower, potatoes, rutabaga, etc. instead of the zucchini and yellow squash.

4 tblsps. olive oil

3 cups chopped leeks, 

white part only (from 

approximately 3 medium 

leeks)

3 tblsps. finely minced garlic

Kosher salt

3 cups carrots, peeled and 

chopped into rounds

1 head celery, chopped

2 qts. chicken or vegetable 

broth

2  zucchini, chopped

2  yellow squash, chopped

1 28 oz. can peeled, seeded 

and chopped tomatoes in puree

Black pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

1.  Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat.  Add the leeks, garlic and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes.

2.  Add the carrots and celery and continue to cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add zucchini and squash and saute 5 minutes more.

3.  Add the stock, increase the heat to high, then bring to a simmer.  Once simmering, add the tomatoes.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.  Season to taste with Kosher salt.  Serve immediately from the pot.

New Year’s Black Eyed Soup

Eating Black Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day is supposed to bring good luck and success for the coming year.

6 cups dried black-eyed peas

3 tblsps.unsalted butter or 

vegetable oil

5 onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled 

and chopped

1/2 tsp. freshly ground 

black pepper

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. salt

6 to 8 cups chicken stock 

or water

1.  Place beans in a saucepan and cover with a generous quantity of water.  Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Stir once in a while.

2.  Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed stockpot, add onions and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes.  Add spices and stir.

Share this Article