Crema de PalmitoLa Cava restaurant in Mexico City gets credit for this elegant soup which gets a spark of spicy heat from chiles. I remember it well, for the night we dined at La Cava a fairly strong earthquake shook the capital city. After some moments of hesitation, dining resumed, and I finished this delicious rich soup. Fresh hearts of palm are rare and hard to find in the United States, but canned are available in most supermarkets
Hearts of Palm Soup
Crema de PalmitoLa Cava restaurant in Mexico City gets credit for this elegant soup which gets a spark of spicy heat from chiles. I remember it well, for the night we dined at La Cava a fairly strong earthquake shook the capital city. After some moments of hesitation, dining resumed, and I finished this delicious rich soup. Fresh hearts of palm are rare and hard to find in the United States, but canned are available in most supermarkets
Equipment
- large wide saucepan
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
- ½ medium white onion finely chopped
- 2 cups canned fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained, rinsed, and chopped
- 1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo seeded and chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large wide saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and cook the onion, covered, stirring frequently until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the parsley, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and simmer 5 minutes.
- Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth.
- (There will be some texture from tiny bits of the palm hearts.
- ) Return the soup to the pan and bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, and cook 3 to 4 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning.
Notes & Wine Advice
Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley.