We believe that first course soups not only set the theme for the meal to come but also tempt and tease ones taste buds, building an expectation for what’s coming next. Soup served as a first course should not be heavy or served in large portions, but rather served in small portions, enough to tantalize but not enough to fill your guests up. First course soups are also the first visual your guests have of the meal to come and are easy to prepare with beautiful presentations.

The following collection of beautiful first course soups will take center stage on your holiday table and be remembered long after the dishes have been cleared away.

Remember, soup can also be made ahead then re-warmed and garnished just before serving. Serving sizes for the following recipes can be doubled depending on the number of guests.

Butternut Squash Soup w/Mushroom Mousse & Chives

Butternut Squash Soup w/Mushroom Mousse & Chives

Serves 4
Ingredients:
For mushroom mousse:

• 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
  
• 1/2 cup boiling water
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

For butternut squash soup:

• 4 cups gf chicken stock
  
• 1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded & cut into 1" dice
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
  
• 2 parsley sprigs
  
• 2 small sage sprigs
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• Dash freshly grated nutmeg
  
• Dash cayenne pepper
  
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:

• 2 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
  
• Dash cayenne

Directions:
In a small bowl, soak porcini mushrooms in boiling water until softened, about 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine stock with butternut squash, parsley, sage and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until squash is very tender. Discard parsley, sage and bay leaf.
Working in batches, using a blender, puree squash and stock.
Return puree to saucepan and add 1 cup heavy cream. Stir to combine. Add nutmeg and cayenne. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
Transfer soaked mushrooms to a blender along with soaking liquid (discarding any sediment) and puree. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
In a medium bowl, whip cream until firm. Fold in mushroom puree and adjust seasonings to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, ladle soup into shallow soup bowls. Dollop mushroom mousse in center. Garnish with chopped chives and a dash of cayenne.

Cauliflower Soup with Bacon & Truffle Oil

Cauliflower Soup with Bacon & Truffle Oil

Serves 6
Ingredients:

• 2 slices of gf bacon, chopped
  
• 1 cup chopped onion
  
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
  
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  
• 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 3-1/2 cups gf Chicken Stock
  
• 1 3/4-inch cube of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional shavings for garnish
  
• 1/2 cup cream
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• White truffle oil (for drizzling)
  
• Rosemary for garnish (optional)
  

Directions:
In a large heavy saucepan saute the bacon over medium heat until golden brown and some fat renders. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Add the onion, celery and garlic to the pot and saute briefly. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Add the cauliflower, chicken stock and cheese cube. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until cauliflower is very tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a food processor. Return the soup to the pan. Stir in the crisped bacon. Add the cream and bring the soup to a simmer; simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with cheese shavings, rosemary and drizzle with truffle oil.

Roasted Yellow Pepper & Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted Yellow Pepper & Roasted Tomato Soup

Serves 6
Ingredients:
For yellow pepper soup:

• 6 yellow peppers
  
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
  
• 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
  
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
  
• 1-3/4 cup gf chicken stock, plus additional stock to thin the soup
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
  
• Fresh lemon juice to taste

For tomato soup:

• 3 pounds tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
  
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
  
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
  
• 1-1-/2 cups gf chicken stock
  
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
  
• Fresh lemon juice to taste

For jalapeño cream:

• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded & chopped fine
  
• 1 large garlic clove, minced & mashed into a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup créme fraîche or sour cream

Directions:
To make roasted yellow pepper soup:
Place peppers on a large baking sheet directly under broiler element. Turn peppers every 5 minutes until skins are blackened, about 15 minutes total. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let them steam for 10-15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Remove blackened skins, seeds and stems. Coarsely chop; set aside.
In a heavy saucepan heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Add shallots, fennel and thyme. Cook until shallots and fennel are very soft. Add bell peppers, 1-1/2 cups chicken stock and simmer mixture, covered, for 15 minutes.
In batches, puree mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Force puree through a fine sieve set over a clean saucepan. Whisk in 1/2 cup cream and remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock (or more if the soup needs to be thinned). Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
The soup can be prepared 1 day in advance - cover and refrigerate. Re-warm over low heat, stirring frequently.
To make the roasted tomato soup:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spread tomatoes on a large jelly roll pan lined with aluminum foil, adding unpeeled garlic cloves to pan.
Bake tomatoes and garlic for about an hour or until tomatoes are very soft and skins are dark brown. Let tomatoes cool in pan, on a rack.
In a heavy saucepan melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Add shallots and oregano; saute until tender.
Meanwhile, peel roasted garlic cloves; adding garlic, tomatoes, and 1-1/2 cups chicken stock to shallot mixture. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Working in batches, puree mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Force puree through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Whisk in 1/4 cup cream. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
The soup may be prepared 1 day ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate. Re-heat over low heat, stirring frequently.
To make the jalapeño cream:
In a small bowl, mix together jalapeño pepper, garlic paste and créme fraîche or sour cream. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Force mixture through a fine sieve over a small bowl. (This can be done 1 day ahead of time. Let cream come to room temperature before serving.)
To serve, ladle 1/2 cup of each soup into 2 glass measuring cups. Pour soups simultaneously into shallow soup bowls from opposite sides of bowls. Drizzle jalapeño cream over each serving.

Pumpkin Soup w/Gruyere

Pumpkin Soup w/Gruyere

Serves 10-12
Ingredients:

• One 5-6 pound pumpkin
  
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  
• 6 cups gf Chicken Stock
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1-1/2 cup light cream
  
• 2 Tablespoons grated orange zest
  
• 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
  
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 3/4 pound gruyere cheese, shredded
  
• Salt and white pepper
  
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Directions:
Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out all strings and seeds. With a sturdy knife, cut away hard peel. Coarsely chop pumpkin flesh; you should have 8 cups.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute until golden,
4-5 minutes. Add gf stock, chopped pumpkin and bay leaf. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender, 15-30 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
Using a food processor, puree soup in small batches.
Return puree to pan and stir in cream, orange zest, orange and lemon juices, nutmeg and ginger. Reserve a handful of cheese and sprinkle the rest into soup, stirring over low heat until cheese melts and blends in.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a warmed tureen, individual bowls or pumpkin shells and garnish with reserved cheese and chives.

Watermelon Soup with Crab & Lemongrass

Watermelon Soup with Crab & Lemongrass

• 10 cups chopped seedless watermelon
  
• 2 fresh lemongrass stalks
  
• 6 Tablespoons finely chopped shallots
  
• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
  
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
  
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 serrano chile, finely chopped (with seeds if you like it hot)
  
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
  
• Kosher salt to taste
  
• Meat from 2 dungeness crab
  
• ½ cup cilantro
  
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  
• ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:
In batches, puree watermelon in blender until all is pureed. Discard outer leaves of lemongrass and mince about 5 inches from root end from both stalks. Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan, when hot add lemongrass, shallot, ginger and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add about 1/3 watermelon puree to lemongrass mixture and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer mixture back to blender and add chile and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Add remaining watermelon puree and blend together. Season to taste with salt. Strain soup and adjust seasonings.
For crab:
Toss crab with cilantro, oil and salt.
To serve:
Mound equal amounts of crab in the center of each shallow soup bowl and ladle two to three spoonfuls of soup around it. This soup can be served warm or cold.

- Chef Yvonne