Xavier Soup
Here we are, on the very letter that trips up just about every alphabetical series since the creation of the English alphabet, the dreaded X. An exceptionally difficult letter, especially in the context of finding out food that starts with it.
There’s xanthan gum, a type of starch often used for thickening dressings and sauces, XO sauce, popular in Chinese cuisine, and Xocolatl, an alternate name for Mexican chocolate.
However, among these rather tricky ingredients and dishes comes a classic Italian soup composed of parmesan and parsley dumplings submerged in a light broth, otherwise known as Xavier soup.
Traditionally served on the feast day of St. Francis Xavier (December 3rd), Xavier soup is a very simple recipe that delivers on light flavors that work in harmony on your taste buds.
To me the dumplings in this soup are quite similar to gnocchi, minus the potatoes, so I think it will be exactly what I need!
Serves 8
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
10 cups chicken stock
Combine the flour, cream, butter and cheese in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until combined and a smooth dough forms.
Remove the pot from the heat, then stir in the salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, eggs, yolks, and parsley until combined. It’s going to seem like it’s not really coming together at first, but just keep working the dough and it will smooth itself out.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a large round tip, then pipe 1-inch lengths onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, using a butter knife to cut the dough into individual pieces. Set that aside for about 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and warm up the chicken stock in another pot. The stock doesn’t have to boil, it just needs to be hot.
Drop 1/3 of the dumplings into the boiling water and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until they all float to the water’s surface. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and transfer to hot stock. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
(You can tell that they’re done by taking one out of the water and cutting it open. If the color is uniform all the way through, it’s done, if it’s still yellow in the middle, then give it a few more minutes)
Once all of the dumplings are cooked and in the stock, you’re ready to serve. Just ladle the soup into bowls and top with parsley.
