David Bouley's Almond Soup With Glazed Scallions

By ltrodrigu

Mr. Bouley said that almonds are one of the most nutrient-rich foods around—good for the cardiovascular system and for lowering cholesterol.

Ingredients

• For Soup & Glazed Scallions:
• 2 pounds blanched almonds
• 1 1/2 cups sparkling mineral water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 15 scallions, sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons fino Sherry
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Organic almond butter (optional)
• For Chive Oil:
• 4 ounces olive oil
• 2 bunches chives, chopped
• 1 tablespoon buffered Vitamin C powder (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare Almonds:
Add almonds and sparkling water to a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let soak 2 days.

To Make Almond Milk:
Add almonds and any remaining liquid (nuts will have absorbed most of it) to a blender. Process until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or fine-mesh sieve, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Set aside almond milk. (Solids can be used for mixing into granola or topping salads.) Clean blender.

To Make Chive Oil:
Add chives, oil and Vitamin C, if using, to blender and process until smooth.

To Make Glazed Scallions:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy sauté pan over medium heat. Once oil is smoking, add scallions and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add Sherry and cook 2 minutes, then add crème fraîche, tarragon, mint and 2 tablespoons chive oil. Season with salt and pepper and stir to coat scallions.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm almond milk until heated through. Place a few scallions in each soup bowl and ladle almond milk on top. Drizzle with chive oil and add a dollop of almond butter, if using.