Vegetable Soup Becomes Irish-Style With Just One Addition
The arrival of fall heralds soup season and there are many recipes to warm and satisfy in every sip. But if you want one easy way to upgrade your favorite vegetable soup, give it a creamy and Irish-style twist.
A typical Irish vegetable soup recipe calls for such ingredients as onions, carrots, leeks, potatoes, celery, parsnips, and sometimes garlic. The inclusion of Irish butter, however, is what really makes this soup extra creamy and rich. Boasting a higher butterfat content is part of what makes Irish butter taste better than American butter, which means that it is of the utmost importance to seek out an Irish-style brand for this addition.
Rather than simply stirring in a pat of butter to elevate the broth or adding it as a float on top, using it either on its own or in combination with olive oil works best for preparing the veggies for simmering in the soup. Additionally, if you love Kerrygold butter but don't love the price, there are a number of cheaper butter alternatives to try that will still provide the right taste and texture for your soup.
Tips for using Irish butter in your vegetable soup
There are several tips to remember when cooking with butter, particularly when using it to enhance the flavors of the vegetables in your soup. Minding the heat is crucial. Once your butter has melted — whether you've included oil or not — take care to turn down the heat between medium and low before adding your chopped vegetables to the pot.
Start by sautéing your aromatics until they become fragrant before lowering the heat and adding the rest of the vegetables to sweat in the Irish butter and any additional fat of your choosing. Everything will start to smell delicious, but patience is key to drawing out the flavors and letting the butter do the heavy lifting for an extra creamy soup. Be sure to let your pot simmer slowly until the vegetables are fully tenderized. You can choose to use an immersion blender or leave the soup with a chunkier texture per your preference.
Serve this with a side of Irish soda bread for dipping. Alternatively, you can cut up the bread and toast it to make soup croutons for a crispy addition to every bowl. With the right style of butter and enough time on the stove, this soup will make a perfectly cozy meal.
