Chicory Soup
I included a chicory soup recipe in my cookbook, Near & Far and to this day it’s one I love to revisit. A brothy, restorative barley soup is made with seasonal chicories. Each bowl is punctuated with flecks of preserved lemon, a bit of chile confetti, and a silky dollop of creme fraiche. It’s so simple, yet so warming and satisfying. The lemon plus the jolts of chile mingling with the richness of the creme fraiche is a dream. Soup lovers, give this one a go.
One of my favorite recipes in Near & Far was one I was worried people might skip over - a simple chicory soup with an unassuming barley base, crowned with a trio of toppings. I wanted to revisit it today because the chicory and radicchio in the markets is beautiful right now, and also because it was one of the recipes Russ Moore made when we had a party at Camino and the menu featured recipes from the book. I had a bowl of bessara along with some flatbread made by Russ a couple of weeks back and it reminded me of how much I love his cooking, and what a special place Camino was.
Chicory Soup: Ingredients
Most of the ingredients in this soup are straight-forward. A couple notes -
- Barley: I tend to use semi-pearled barley or farro here, I like the added starchiness. Russ used Anson Mill's whole farro piccolo for the dinner and I loved it. The flavor of the grain was really nice and pronounced.
- Chicory / radicchio - Make this soup when chicories are in season. They’re cold weather enthusiasts so you’ll likely come across them in winter markets, and as winter shifts to spring. But also in fall some places. For this soup I like to use pretty varietals with good structure - pretty pink rosa del Veneto, Castelfranco radicchio, Chioggia, Lusia, etc.
- Preserved lemon: If you don’t keep preserved lemon on hand, but have a lemon, here’s a little hack I use (it’s in the back of Super Natural Simple). You can use it for the preserved lemon called for in the recipe. Use a peeler to trim the rind (no white pith) from the lemon. Mince the rind into small confetti-shaped flecks. Transfer to a small jar with a lid. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of fine grain salt, and then top with as much lemon juice as you can squeeze from the lemon (no seeds). Top off the jar with a splash of white wine vinegar if needed to ensure the rind is covered. Let everything sit for 15 minutes before using.
- Fresh herbs: I like to use lots of cilantro and chives here, but dill is also nice. Whatever fresh herbs you have are always a welcome addition.
A Bit About Camino
As you drive south on Oakland's Grand Avenue toward Lake Merritt, on the right hand side, you'll notice a beautiful exposed brick building. The lines are symmetrical, and the roof is tiled with waves of red terra-cotta. There are beautiful wood beams framing street-side windows expansive from sidewalk skyward. Camino was a special restaurant owned by chef Russ Moore and Allison Hopelain. It's a place that told you a lot about the two of them through a whole range of details - some loud, others more quiet.
A wide open interior with long tables of family-style seating framed an open hearth where much of the cooking took place. Camino was always known for impeccably sourced ingredients made into meals prepared in open fire. It was also known for having great style - you would see it in everything from the food, to the cooking vessels, to the custom crown chandeliers, and the arches of hand-cut paper masks on the walls. Russ and Allison hosted a dinner at Camino to celebrate the release of Near & Far. They would do this on occasion, host an author, and bring people together for a meal related to a (typically) newly released cookbook title. For an author, it's magic - to have a night where the Camino staff focuses on your recipes and cooking style, friends at every table.
I'm threading in a collection of images from that night followed by a recipe for the chicory soup. Forever thanks to everyone who grabbed my camera and took photos that night while I was signing books - mostly Wayne. And if you're interested in the legacy of Camino, be sure to track down a copy of This is Camino (2015). xo, -h
More Soup Recipes
A little side note, if you enjoy making soups as much as I do, consider making your own homemade bouillon powder. So easy, and nice to keep on hand!
- Tortellini Soup
- Wild Rice Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup
- Lively Up Lentil Soup
- Split Pea Soup
- Miso Soup
- Ribollita
- Ten Great Blender Soups
- All soup recipes
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Chicory Soup
This soup is wonderful cooked with barley or farro. The main thing? Don’t skimp on the toppings.
- 7 tablespoons | 105 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 cups | 8 oz | 225 g diced celery
- Fine-grain sea salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 7 cups | 1.65 L water
- 3 cups | 15 oz | 425 g cooked barley
- 1 large dried ancho chile
- 1 large clove garlic, smashed
- 1 small whole preserved lemon, rinsed, seeded, and minced
- 3 cups | 4 oz | 115 g chicory, cut into 11/2-inch | 4cm pieces
- Crème fraîche, chopped cilantro, and/or chopped chives, to serve.
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To a large pot over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the onion, celery, and 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Stir frequently for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions and celery are soft but not browned. Add the bay, thyme, and water and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender. Stir in the cooked barley. Continue to simmer for an additional 10 to 20 minutes, until the starchy barley has slightly thickened the broth. Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Taste again for seasoning, adjusting if necessary.
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While the soup is simmering, make a lemon-chile relish. Start by removing the stem, ribs, and seeds from the chile. Chop the chile into very small, irregular crumbles. You want bits that are not uniform, to lend a rustic quality to the final result. In a small pot over medium heat, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the chile crumbles, and garlic. Tilt the pan so that the oil pools, toasting the chile, but taking care not to burn the garlic. After about 5 minutes the chile should be somewhat softened and its flavor will have infused the oil. Remove the pan from the heat, smash up the garlic pieces, and stir in the preserved lemon.
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To serve, toss the chicory with a small splash of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Ladle soup into individual bowls then top with the dressed chicory. Add small spoonfuls of lemon-ancho relish, dabs of crème fraîche, and lots of chopped cilantro and chives.
Serves 4-6.
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Comments
Sounds lovely! Where is the bowl from the first picture from?
HS: It’s a beautiful Colleen Hennessey bowl.
This soup was very tasty. Cooked it 2 days in a row last week. Quite a unique and interesting combination of flavours. Will cook it again. Thanks.
Do you have any suggestions for a gluten-free substitute for the barley? The barley also thickens the broth slightly so I want to make sure I substitute the right ingredient. Would rice work?
I haven’t tried it with rice, but a short brown rice might be where I’d start.
As interesting as the soup sounds, I would like to know more about the green chickpeas.
Lovely post Heidi. Thanks for sharing with us!
It’s very understandable why this chicory soup is one of your favorites 🙂
Gorgeous photos of Camino Restaurant – it sure looks and sounds as wonderful as you described it. Love the ambiance!
also, forgot to mention I’m combing your site for side dishes. My husband and I are hosting book group next week and I need inspiration!
I’ve been enjoying 101 Cookbooks for several months now and wanted to let you know it serves as my “me” time. I like to luxuriate in your stunning aesthetics and make your recipes which are fresh and delicious. Thank you for enhancing and elevating my day life!
I’ll be holding onto this for the next time the CSA gives me chicories!
the chicory soup was my FAVORITE! it was soooo good. i could eat it everyday too. loved celebrating with you, and see you saturday!
Such a gorgeous restaurant and dish, wow! I’m sure the aromas while cooking this are incredible.
I’ve never cooked with chicory before, but now I’m inspired. Sounds like it was a lovely evening!
oh Heidi, the way you described this place made me want to eat there soon but when I saw the pictures I wished to be and eat there immediately. I haven’t seen your book yet, we moved to spain last month and I didn’t have time to order it. I’ll do it now. Can’t wait to see it xx
That sounded like a really special evening. And this soup! Chicory is so easy to chop up and throw into salads so I love it’s equally easy role in this inventive soup.
Your shots are so elegant! Awesome soup recipe btw 🙂 Thanks for it. Pinned!
First of all, congrats on what looks like a really fun evening. But secondly, this soup! This is exactly the type of recipe why I keep coming back to your site so often (even though I am a subscriber) and why I keep on clicking the refresh button on Amazon (in the vain hope that your new book will be shipped sooner than initially indicated). While I love to think outside the box in terms of ingredients and flavours when I bake, I often don’t feel particularly inspired when it comes to savoury dishes, despite a well-stocked pantry and spice drawer. But recipes like these, that combine simple ingredients with pantry staples like preserved lemons and ancho chile while giving old-fashioned ingredients like barley a new breathe of life, are super inspiring, so thank you for that!
so fun! Look at you shining, darling lady. I hope it was such a special night as are the rest of your events. That book is spectacular in every way and you deserve to be showered with praise. Soak it up! Good luck and enjoy! xo
xoxo Sara!
Your photos are absolutely stunning. I love your new book as well:)
I love how you make recipes that are simple but with such creative touches – like this soup. The ingredients list is short but just the lemon chile relish is such a nice component.
The soup was sooooo delicious and the evening was truly magical. So wonderful to meet you and I can’t wait to try more of the recipes in the book.
HS: Thanks Reshma! Was great to meet you as well. xo -h
I just got my copy of Near and Far and the chicory soup is one I’ve flagged to make. I’m already in love with this cookbook, and all I’ve made so far is the Harira (which is AH-MAZING). The dinner at Camino looks like it was a riot. What else was served on the menu that night?
Gorgeous as always!
Congratulations, Heidi, on your beautiful book! So pleased to find it last week in my local bookstore in Sydney, Australia. Your wonderful work has spread around the world very quickly–truly near and far! Looking forward to cooking my way through it.
This soup looks and sounds amazing and these pictures are all kinds of loveliness!
I am such a fan of herbs, as many as possible incorporated into everything, and I am a stranger to chicory! Can someone give a vivid description of its flavors and qualities? Thank you!
Could radicchio be used in place of chicory? I get the former in my CSA, never see the latter around…
Looks lovely.
Yes!
WHOA. This looks and sounds amazing!!! Thanks for sharing!
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