Nigella Lawson’s recipe for dense chocolate loaf cafe , well traversed in the blogosphere, needs no tinkering. Moist, rich, tender, chocolatey — what’s to improve?
Well, when my box of Fair Trade treats arrived, and I saw the bag of coffee and chocolate nestled together, I couldn’t help think that coffee, known to heighten the flavor of chocolate without imparting much coffee flavor at all, might make a subtle difference.
And because a splash of booze is often a nice addition to quick breads/loaf cakes, what would be the harm in replacing the final two tablespoons of water with brandy? And because every cake needs a pinch of salt, a pinch of salt would be added, too.
The result? Intense chocolate, subtle coffee and booze, perfect sweetness, complete deliciousness. This cake gets better by the day and is as impossible to resist with morning coffee as with postprandial cordials. Coffee, booze, salt — somehow I think you (and Nigella) would approve.
So, Friends, as you know it is October, when we celebrate all things Fair Trade, from chocolate to coffee to quinoa . Let’s review what Fair Trade means:
What is Fair Trade?
- Products that bear the Fair Trade logo come from farmers and workers who are justly compensated.
- Fair Trade helps farmers (more than 1.2 million worldwide) in developing countries build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities.
- Fair Trade ensures that farmers follow internationally monitored environmental standards and also provides financial incentives and resources for organic conversion, reforestation, water conservation and environmental education.
- Fair Trade empowers women to play an active role in their families and in their co-ops by starting businesses with guaranteed access to health care, certain job rights and freedom from harassment.
- Fair Trade supports education with revenues set aside to build schools and maintain enrollment.
In Nigella’s cake I used Guittard semi-sweet chocolate, though bittersweet works well, too, and Equator Mocha Java coffee:
Don’t be tempted to pour the whole batter into one 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan — it will overflow . That said, if you have a 9×5-inch or 10×5-inch loaf pan, you can fit the entire batter in it.
If you can resist, let it rest for a full day before cutting:
Description
Changes I’ve made include:
Reducing the brown sugar from 1 2/3 cups to 1 1/2 cups. I find dark or light works just fine.
Replacing the water with coffee and booze. I use my Nespresso machine to make espresso, which I add water to to make 1 cup. If you don’t feel like adding booze or coffee, simply use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water instead.
Upped the vanilla.
Added salt.
1 cup ( 228 g ) soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups ( 300 g ) brown sugar
1 1/3 cups ( 170 g ) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) baking soda
1 teaspoon ( 4 g ) kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ounces ( 113 g ) best bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons ( 28 g ) Brandy or Bourbon or Grand Marnier, see notes above
1 cup ( 227 g ) brewed coffee, see notes above
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9×5-inch or 10×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease the inside ends of the pan if they are exposed. If you only have an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan, prepare it along with another small vessel with parchment paper — do not be tempted to bake the entire batter in it as it will overflow.
- Cream the butter and sugar, either with a wooden spoon or with an electric hand-held mixer, being sure not to overbeat it.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined.
- Next, fold in the melted and now slightly cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but being careful not to overbeat. You want the ingredients combined: You don’t want a light, airy mass. Add the brandy and coffee mix to combine.
- Finally, add the flour mixture and mix only until the flour is absorbed. The batter should be smooth and fairly liquidy.
- Pour into the lined loaf pan, being sure the batter does not come closer than 1 inch from the rim of the cake pan or it risks overflowing. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325ºF and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes more. (If baking some of the batter in a small pan, remove after the first 30 minutes.) Remove the pan from the oven. The cake will still be a bit squidgy inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won’t come out completely clean. Place the loaf pan on a rack, and leave it to get completely cold before turning it out. (Leave it for a whole day if you can resist.) Don’t worry if it sinks in the middle — it will do so because it’s such a dense and damp cake.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nigella Lawson’s recipe for dense chocolate loaf cafe , well traversed in the blogosphere, needs no tinkering. Moist, rich, tender, chocolatey — what’s to improve?
Well, when my box of Fair Trade treats arrived, and I saw the bag of coffee and chocolate nestled together, I couldn’t help think that coffee, known to heighten the flavor of chocolate without imparting much coffee flavor at all, might make a subtle difference.
And because a splash of booze is often a nice addition to quick breads/loaf cakes, what would be the harm in replacing the final two tablespoons of water with brandy? And because every cake needs a pinch of salt, a pinch of salt would be added, too.
The result? Intense chocolate, subtle coffee and booze, perfect sweetness, complete deliciousness. This cake gets better by the day and is as impossible to resist with morning coffee as with postprandial cordials. Coffee, booze, salt — somehow I think you (and Nigella) would approve.
So, Friends, as you know it is October, when we celebrate all things Fair Trade, from chocolate to coffee to quinoa . Let’s review what Fair Trade means:
What is Fair Trade?
- Products that bear the Fair Trade logo come from farmers and workers who are justly compensated.
- Fair Trade helps farmers (more than 1.2 million worldwide) in developing countries build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities.
- Fair Trade ensures that farmers follow internationally monitored environmental standards and also provides financial incentives and resources for organic conversion, reforestation, water conservation and environmental education.
- Fair Trade empowers women to play an active role in their families and in their co-ops by starting businesses with guaranteed access to health care, certain job rights and freedom from harassment.
- Fair Trade supports education with revenues set aside to build schools and maintain enrollment.
In Nigella’s cake I used Guittard semi-sweet chocolate, though bittersweet works well, too, and Equator Mocha Java coffee:
Don’t be tempted to pour the whole batter into one 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan — it will overflow . That said, if you have a 9×5-inch or 10×5-inch loaf pan, you can fit the entire batter in it.
If you can resist, let it rest for a full day before cutting:
Description
Changes I’ve made include:
Reducing the brown sugar from 1 2/3 cups to 1 1/2 cups. I find dark or light works just fine.
Replacing the water with coffee and booze. I use my Nespresso machine to make espresso, which I add water to to make 1 cup. If you don’t feel like adding booze or coffee, simply use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water instead.
Upped the vanilla.
Added salt.
1 cup ( 228 g ) soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups ( 300 g ) brown sugar
1 1/3 cups ( 170 g ) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) baking soda
1 teaspoon ( 4 g ) kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ounces ( 113 g ) best bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons ( 28 g ) Brandy or Bourbon or Grand Marnier, see notes above
1 cup ( 227 g ) brewed coffee, see notes above
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9×5-inch or 10×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease the inside ends of the pan if they are exposed. If you only have an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan, prepare it along with another small vessel with parchment paper — do not be tempted to bake the entire batter in it as it will overflow.
- Cream the butter and sugar, either with a wooden spoon or with an electric hand-held mixer, being sure not to overbeat it.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined.
- Next, fold in the melted and now slightly cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but being careful not to overbeat. You want the ingredients combined: You don’t want a light, airy mass. Add the brandy and coffee mix to combine.
- Finally, add the flour mixture and mix only until the flour is absorbed. The batter should be smooth and fairly liquidy.
- Pour into the lined loaf pan, being sure the batter does not come closer than 1 inch from the rim of the cake pan or it risks overflowing. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325ºF and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes more. (If baking some of the batter in a small pan, remove after the first 30 minutes.) Remove the pan from the oven. The cake will still be a bit squidgy inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won’t come out completely clean. Place the loaf pan on a rack, and leave it to get completely cold before turning it out. (Leave it for a whole day if you can resist.) Don’t worry if it sinks in the middle — it will do so because it’s such a dense and damp cake.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nigella Lawson’s recipe for dense chocolate loaf cafe , well traversed in the blogosphere, needs no tinkering. Moist, rich, tender, chocolatey — what’s to improve?
Well, when my box of Fair Trade treats arrived, and I saw the bag of coffee and chocolate nestled together, I couldn’t help think that coffee, known to heighten the flavor of chocolate without imparting much coffee flavor at all, might make a subtle difference.
And because a splash of booze is often a nice addition to quick breads/loaf cakes, what would be the harm in replacing the final two tablespoons of water with brandy? And because every cake needs a pinch of salt, a pinch of salt would be added, too.
The result? Intense chocolate, subtle coffee and booze, perfect sweetness, complete deliciousness. This cake gets better by the day and is as impossible to resist with morning coffee as with postprandial cordials. Coffee, booze, salt — somehow I think you (and Nigella) would approve.
So, Friends, as you know it is October, when we celebrate all things Fair Trade, from chocolate to coffee to quinoa . Let’s review what Fair Trade means:
What is Fair Trade?
- Products that bear the Fair Trade logo come from farmers and workers who are justly compensated.
- Fair Trade helps farmers (more than 1.2 million worldwide) in developing countries build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities.
- Fair Trade ensures that farmers follow internationally monitored environmental standards and also provides financial incentives and resources for organic conversion, reforestation, water conservation and environmental education.
- Fair Trade empowers women to play an active role in their families and in their co-ops by starting businesses with guaranteed access to health care, certain job rights and freedom from harassment.
- Fair Trade supports education with revenues set aside to build schools and maintain enrollment.
In Nigella’s cake I used Guittard semi-sweet chocolate, though bittersweet works well, too, and Equator Mocha Java coffee:
Don’t be tempted to pour the whole batter into one 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan — it will overflow . That said, if you have a 9×5-inch or 10×5-inch loaf pan, you can fit the entire batter in it.
If you can resist, let it rest for a full day before cutting:
Description
Changes I’ve made include:
Reducing the brown sugar from 1 2/3 cups to 1 1/2 cups. I find dark or light works just fine.
Replacing the water with coffee and booze. I use my Nespresso machine to make espresso, which I add water to to make 1 cup. If you don’t feel like adding booze or coffee, simply use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water instead.
Upped the vanilla.
Added salt.
1 cup ( 228 g ) soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups ( 300 g ) brown sugar
1 1/3 cups ( 170 g ) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) baking soda
1 teaspoon ( 4 g ) kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ounces ( 113 g ) best bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons ( 28 g ) Brandy or Bourbon or Grand Marnier, see notes above
1 cup ( 227 g ) brewed coffee, see notes above
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9×5-inch or 10×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease the inside ends of the pan if they are exposed. If you only have an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan, prepare it along with another small vessel with parchment paper — do not be tempted to bake the entire batter in it as it will overflow.
- Cream the butter and sugar, either with a wooden spoon or with an electric hand-held mixer, being sure not to overbeat it.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined.
- Next, fold in the melted and now slightly cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but being careful not to overbeat. You want the ingredients combined: You don’t want a light, airy mass. Add the brandy and coffee mix to combine.
- Finally, add the flour mixture and mix only until the flour is absorbed. The batter should be smooth and fairly liquidy.
- Pour into the lined loaf pan, being sure the batter does not come closer than 1 inch from the rim of the cake pan or it risks overflowing. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325ºF and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes more. (If baking some of the batter in a small pan, remove after the first 30 minutes.) Remove the pan from the oven. The cake will still be a bit squidgy inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won’t come out completely clean. Place the loaf pan on a rack, and leave it to get completely cold before turning it out. (Leave it for a whole day if you can resist.) Don’t worry if it sinks in the middle — it will do so because it’s such a dense and damp cake.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nigella Lawson’s recipe for dense chocolate loaf cafe , well traversed in the blogosphere, needs no tinkering. Moist, rich, tender, chocolatey — what’s to improve?
Well, when my box of Fair Trade treats arrived, and I saw the bag of coffee and chocolate nestled together, I couldn’t help think that coffee, known to heighten the flavor of chocolate without imparting much coffee flavor at all, might make a subtle difference.
And because a splash of booze is often a nice addition to quick breads/loaf cakes, what would be the harm in replacing the final two tablespoons of water with brandy? And because every cake needs a pinch of salt, a pinch of salt would be added, too.
The result? Intense chocolate, subtle coffee and booze, perfect sweetness, complete deliciousness. This cake gets better by the day and is as impossible to resist with morning coffee as with postprandial cordials. Coffee, booze, salt — somehow I think you (and Nigella) would approve.
So, Friends, as you know it is October, when we celebrate all things Fair Trade, from chocolate to coffee to quinoa . Let’s review what Fair Trade means:
What is Fair Trade?
- Products that bear the Fair Trade logo come from farmers and workers who are justly compensated.
- Fair Trade helps farmers (more than 1.2 million worldwide) in developing countries build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities.
- Fair Trade ensures that farmers follow internationally monitored environmental standards and also provides financial incentives and resources for organic conversion, reforestation, water conservation and environmental education.
- Fair Trade empowers women to play an active role in their families and in their co-ops by starting businesses with guaranteed access to health care, certain job rights and freedom from harassment.
- Fair Trade supports education with revenues set aside to build schools and maintain enrollment.
In Nigella’s cake I used Guittard semi-sweet chocolate, though bittersweet works well, too, and Equator Mocha Java coffee:
Don’t be tempted to pour the whole batter into one 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan — it will overflow . That said, if you have a 9×5-inch or 10×5-inch loaf pan, you can fit the entire batter in it.
If you can resist, let it rest for a full day before cutting:
Description
Changes I’ve made include:
Reducing the brown sugar from 1 2/3 cups to 1 1/2 cups. I find dark or light works just fine.
Replacing the water with coffee and booze. I use my Nespresso machine to make espresso, which I add water to to make 1 cup. If you don’t feel like adding booze or coffee, simply use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water instead.
Upped the vanilla.
Added salt.
1 cup ( 228 g ) soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups ( 300 g ) brown sugar
1 1/3 cups ( 170 g ) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) baking soda
1 teaspoon ( 4 g ) kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ounces ( 113 g ) best bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons ( 28 g ) Brandy or Bourbon or Grand Marnier, see notes above
1 cup ( 227 g ) brewed coffee, see notes above
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9×5-inch or 10×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease the inside ends of the pan if they are exposed. If you only have an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan, prepare it along with another small vessel with parchment paper — do not be tempted to bake the entire batter in it as it will overflow.
- Cream the butter and sugar, either with a wooden spoon or with an electric hand-held mixer, being sure not to overbeat it.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined.
- Next, fold in the melted and now slightly cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but being careful not to overbeat. You want the ingredients combined: You don’t want a light, airy mass. Add the brandy and coffee mix to combine.
- Finally, add the flour mixture and mix only until the flour is absorbed. The batter should be smooth and fairly liquidy.
- Pour into the lined loaf pan, being sure the batter does not come closer than 1 inch from the rim of the cake pan or it risks overflowing. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325ºF and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes more. (If baking some of the batter in a small pan, remove after the first 30 minutes.) Remove the pan from the oven. The cake will still be a bit squidgy inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won’t come out completely clean. Place the loaf pan on a rack, and leave it to get completely cold before turning it out. (Leave it for a whole day if you can resist.) Don’t worry if it sinks in the middle — it will do so because it’s such a dense and damp cake.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Changes I’ve made include:
Reducing the brown sugar from 1 2/3 cups to 1 1/2 cups. I find dark or light works just fine.
Replacing the water with coffee and booze. I use my Nespresso machine to make espresso, which I add water to to make 1 cup. If you don’t feel like adding booze or coffee, simply use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water instead.
Upped the vanilla.
Added salt.
1 cup ( 228 g ) soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups ( 300 g ) brown sugar
1 1/3 cups ( 170 g ) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) baking soda
1 teaspoon ( 4 g ) kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ounces ( 113 g ) best bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons ( 28 g ) Brandy or Bourbon or Grand Marnier, see notes above
1 cup ( 227 g ) brewed coffee, see notes above
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9×5-inch or 10×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease the inside ends of the pan if they are exposed. If you only have an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan, prepare it along with another small vessel with parchment paper — do not be tempted to bake the entire batter in it as it will overflow.
- Cream the butter and sugar, either with a wooden spoon or with an electric hand-held mixer, being sure not to overbeat it.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until combined.
- Next, fold in the melted and now slightly cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but being careful not to overbeat. You want the ingredients combined: You don’t want a light, airy mass. Add the brandy and coffee mix to combine.
- Finally, add the flour mixture and mix only until the flour is absorbed. The batter should be smooth and fairly liquidy.
- Pour into the lined loaf pan, being sure the batter does not come closer than 1 inch from the rim of the cake pan or it risks overflowing. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325ºF and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes more. (If baking some of the batter in a small pan, remove after the first 30 minutes.) Remove the pan from the oven. The cake will still be a bit squidgy inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won’t come out completely clean. Place the loaf pan on a rack, and leave it to get completely cold before turning it out. (Leave it for a whole day if you can resist.) Don’t worry if it sinks in the middle — it will do so because it’s such a dense and damp cake.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2014/10/10/nigella-lawsons-dense-chocolate-loaf-cake-with-booze-and-coffee-plus-two-fair-trade-giveaways/
Let’s get right down to business: soup season has officially arrived, bringing with it bowls of warm, comforting goodness, smells that permeate the house, the nourishment we crave on chilly days, and blisters to our little, out-of-practice fingers.
Whenever I make soup, I immediately think back to my time at Fork , when I spent the better part of a year prepping carrots, parsnips, onions and celery, the four vegetables that went into every hot soup chef Thien made.
Almost every other morning began with soup making, with the stovetop lined with cauldrons, with a constant sprint up and down the basement stairs, in and out of the walk-in, a large aluminum bowl in hand, hours of peeling and chopping before me. The blisters made haste, but soon calloused, making the work less painful, physically if not mentally.
So many soups require a lot of chopping, but the time dedicated to the process almost always pays off: quantities that feed a crowd often at little cost. Thien liked to remind me that soup was how restaurants made money.
OK, in an effort to make soup season go a little more smoothly, I’ve compiled a few thoughts below:
How to Be A More Efficient Soup Maker
- A good chef’s knife , of foremost importance when prepping vegetables, will only be helpful if it is sharp. A few months ago I bought a Wusthof knife sharpener for $30 and couldn’t be happier with how it works. This is an especially nice gadget to have on hand if you find using sharpening stones and steels awkward.
- A good peeler. This one has been my long-time favorite:
- Because soup making often requires a fair amount of peeling and chopping, you will find yourself making many trips to the garbage can. If, at the commencement of your prepping journey, you designate a large, light bowl as your garbage bin, have your bench scraper handy for whisking away those scraps, and keep a small bowl nearby for transfering your prepped vegetables to your soup pot, you will save a lot of time.
Homemade Stock. We all know delicious soups can be made without any stock at all, but when a soup calls for chicken, beef, duck or whatever stock, homemade is best. Also, I never make anything other than chicken stock, so don’t be deterred by a recipe that calls for some sort of exotic stock — chicken stock, which is a snap to make, can almost always be substituted. Vegetable stock similarly is very easy to make not to mention fast: Homemade Vegetable Stock .
Storage containers. These quart containers , which are BPA-free, are so handy for storing homemade stock as well as leftover homemade soup. Last year I went through a purging frenzy of getting rid of all of my old plastic storage containers, replacing everything with glass. But, the thing is, you need plastic if you want to freeze your soups and stocks — glass jars shatter in the freezer. Having the right size storage vessels on hand is a such a joy.
- An immersion blender is so handy for puréed soups. I don’t have a fancy one — it has been years since I bought this one but I don’t think I spent more than $35 or so:
Friends, what soups have you been making? What are your favorite soup-making tips?
How to Make Parsnip and Pear Soup
Pear and parsnip soup ingredients:
Is there any better smell than onions sweating in butter?
Serve with lots of crusty bread :
Description
A doubled version of the original recipe, which calls for making a vanilla-almond oil, can be found here.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 cup shallots or onions, small diced
- kosher salt
- 2 cups parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped ( 2 to 3 parsnips depending on size)
- ½ cup celery root, optional
- fresh thyme leaves, minced, about a tablespoon or so (original recipe calls for rosemary)
- 1 to 2 cups pear, peeled and roughly chopped ( 1 to 2 pears)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 5 cups homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock
- ½ cup half-and-half or cream
- Pear vinegar or other: I use white balsamic vinegar
- truffle oil (optional, for drizzling, so good)
- Pepper to taste
- bread, for serving
- In a medium stockpot, melt the butter over medium-low heat, add the shallots or onions, a pinch of salt, and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the parsnip, celery root (if using), minced thyme, and pinch of salt and continue to sweat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the pear, and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the white wine, increase the heat to high, and reduce by half — to about 1 cup of liquid. Note: It is will be really hard to tell if the wine has reduced by half — just simmer for about 5 minutes or until the alcohol smell dissipates.
- Add the stock and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat, and stir in the half and half or cream.
- Transfer the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender, and purée on high speed until smooth. Taste. Add more salt if necessary.
- To serve, season to taste with vinegar (just a few drops), drizzle with truffle oil (if using), and black pepper if you wish. Serve with lots of crusty bread.
