A cold summer soup from a Brittany house, bright with lemon zest, cream and a pinch of saffron. One pot, thirty minutes.
We had this soup over the summer when we visited our friends Yann and Bernard in their charming Brittany house. It was a shock to me, as I had never tasted anything like it before. The combination of lemon zest, cream, saffron and vegetables made it very special and made you crave more.
The soup was served cold, but you can also choose to serve it hot. When I asked Bernard where he got the recipe, he said it was from a book called Le Citron, which is entirely composed of recipes that include lemon. One extra bonus: it is a one-pot project, my favorite!
No homemade stock? Use 1 liter of water with 1 large tablespoon of Better than Bouillon. Nobody will know, and you skip an hour of simmering.
Saffron, vegetable & lemon soup
Ingredients
- 2 large carrots, cut in small cubes
- 2 zucchinis, cut in small cubes
- 1 liter chicken stock (or vegetable stock*)
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche (or heavy whipping cream)
- 1 pinch saffron
- 2 egg yolks
Method
- In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil with the saffron. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the zucchinis and cook about 10 more minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- With a stick blender, blend vegetables and stock to a creamy consistency. Keep on low heat.
- In a bowl, mix the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and cream.
- Pour a ladle of soup into the bowl to temper the cream mixture, then add everything back into the saucepan. Cook on low for a few more minutes. Do not boil.
- Serve cold or hot.
