Vegetable soup can get boring: prepare it Irish style for a creamy touch
Vegetable soup can be comforting and nutritious, but honestly, sometimes it can also be a little boring.
While vegetable soup might not immediately come to mind when thinking about Irish cuisine (unlike, say, lamb stew or boiled cabbage with bacon), there is a traditional Irish vegetable soup that, unsurprisingly, features plenty of butter. For generations, the Irish have been renowned for both making and consuming butter. Irish butter, unlike American butter, is creamier, has a higher fat content, and comes from grass-fed cows.
This rich soup goes by many names and has several variations, but it's commonly known as cream of vegetable soup or funeral soup, as it's served at wakes, weddings, and other occasions in Ireland. The stew includes root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and potatoes (of course), as well as leeks, celery, garlic, and onions. Many versions call for 30 to 55 grams of Irish butter to sauté approximately 900 grams of chopped vegetables, softening them before simmering them in stock until tender and then puréed to a smooth consistency. Despite its simple selection of ingredients, much of the soup's richness and depth of flavor comes from the use of dairy products native to the Emerald Isle.
Why Irish butter is so important to this vegetable soup
Although some consider using Irish butter in a recipe a waste due to its exquisite flavor and texture, in this soup it can be key, especially if cream isn't added, an ingredient not used in traditional versions, though common today. The higher fat content of the butter adds extra richness to the soup, enhances the flavor of the other ingredients, and helps emulsify it for a balanced taste. While American butter could be used for this soup, authentic Irish butter offers a higher fat content and superior flavor.
Vegetable soup doesn't have to be a dull, clear broth with bits of vegetables floating in it. There's a good variety of Irish cream of vegetable soups, or funeral soups, that can elevate the usual recipe. A tip: use russet potatoes or other floury varieties to thicken the soup. Irish butter might just become your favorite ingredient in vegetable soups.
