Christmas starter: three elegant soups to serve in small portions

The Christmas starter arrives in a small cup, warm between your hands: a silky red kuri squash velouté, a spoonful of softly whipped cream, a few toasted hazelnuts and that delicate scent of truffle that heralds the celebration. Elsewhere, chestnuts golden in butter join the woodland notes of mushrooms, or a thin Parmesan crisp snaps above a spinach soup. Three ways to begin the meal with indulgence, preparing the essentials in advance so that, at the last moment, only the pleasure of the finishing touches remains.

When soup opens the festive meal

There is a particular pleasure in beginning Christmas dinner with a small steaming soup. It warms your hands when served in a cup, gently awakens the appetite and announces a meal you want to savour moment by moment.

Elegance often comes down to very little: beautiful tableware, a delicate portion, a garnish added at the very last moment.

At Karine & Jeff, we particularly love this way of entertaining. Our soups are already cooked and easily find their place in a festive kitchen. You can then turn your attention to the details that make the difference: freshly toasted hazelnuts, chestnuts golden in butter, a soft cream or a little crunch.

Here are three ways to turn a jar into a Christmas starter that deserves its place on a beautiful table.

1. Red kuri squash velouté, airy cream, truffle and hazelnuts

It is a generous and refined pairing: the sweetness of red kuri squash, the fragrance of truffle, the freshness of cream and the crunch of hazelnuts.

The velouté stays in the foreground. The truffle should simply leave a delicate scent on the surface, without overpowering the flavours.

For 6 small starters
Preparation: 10 minutes, reheating: 5 to 7 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 x 780 ml jar of Karine & Jeff Red kuri squash velouté
• 60 ml well-chilled whipping cream
• 20 g hazelnuts
• A few drops of black truffle olive oil, depending on its intensity
• A little freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Toast the hazelnuts for a few minutes in a dry frying pan, then roughly crush them.
2. Whip the well-chilled cream until soft and slightly airy. It should form a small spoonful that holds its shape while staying melt-in-the-mouth.
3. Gently reheat the Red kuri squash velouté in a saucepan. Divide it between six small warmed cups.
4. Just before serving, add a small quenelle of cream, a few hazelnut pieces and one or two drops of truffle oil.
5. Bring to the table straight away. The cream slowly begins to melt into the hot velouté; the hazelnuts add their toasted crunch, while the scent of truffle accompanies the first spoonful.

2. Velvety red kuri squash, mushroom and tarragon soup with golden chestnuts

Here is a Christmas starter with woodland accents, warming and delicately fragrant.

The Velvety soup with red kuri squash, mushrooms and tarragon already has that lovely aromatic depth. A few pan-fried chestnuts are enough to give it a festive look.

For 4 small starters
Preparation: 5 minutes, reheating and cooking: 7 to 8 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 x 500 ml jar of Karine & Jeff Velvety soup with red kuri squash, mushrooms and tarragon
• 60 g organic plain chestnuts, ready cooked and peeled
• 10 g butter
• A few small flat-leaf parsley leaves
• A little pepper

Method

1. Cut the chestnuts into irregular pieces, not too small, so they keep their texture.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the chestnuts. Let them turn golden for three to four minutes, turning them carefully. They should take on a lovely colour at the edges while staying tender inside.
3. Meanwhile, reheat the soup over a low heat.
4. Pour it into four small soup plates or cups, then arrange the chestnut pieces on top. Finish with a small parsley leaf and a twist of the pepper mill.
5. Each spoonful then brings together the sweetness of red kuri squash, the aromas of mushroom and the delicately toasted taste of chestnut.

3. Spinach soup with sheep’s milk cream, Parmesan crisp and lemon

To bring another colour to the table, we love this third suggestion.

The deep green of the spinach soup contrasts with the golden delicacy of a Parmesan crisp. A little lemon zest brightens its green notes, while the sheep’s milk cream already brings its smoothness to the soup.

For 4 small starters
Preparation: 5 minutes, cooking: 8 to 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 x 500 ml jar of Karine & Jeff Spinach soup with sheep’s milk cream and turmeric
• 30 g freshly grated Parmesan
• A little zest from an organic lemon
• A few twists of the pepper mill

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 °C.
2. On a baking tray lined with baking paper, spread the Parmesan into four small, thin discs, leaving enough space between them.
3. Bake for about five to seven minutes, until the cheese has melted and turned lightly golden. Leave to cool: the crisps will become crunchy.
4. Gently reheat the soup and divide it between four small soup plates.
5. Add a little lemon zest, then set a Parmesan crisp on the rim of each plate just before serving.
6. The pleasure lies in the contrast: a smooth, velvety soup, a thin crisp that snaps between your fingers and that little note of lemon that wakes up each mouthful.

A Christmas soup you can prepare without rushing

The great advantage of these starters is that you can get a good part of the work done before your guests arrive.

The day before, you can toast the hazelnuts, cut the chestnuts and bake the Parmesan crisps. Keep the garnishes in suitable containers: dry elements away from moisture, delicate ingredients in the fridge.

The soups, meanwhile, stay in their sealed jars until it is time to prepare them. If you open them in advance, keep them in the fridge according to the instructions on the label.

When dinner time comes, gently reheat the soup you have chosen, prepare the final touches and plate up the small portions.

There is no need to offer all three recipes at the same meal. Just one, chosen to suit the menu, is enough to open the dinner with elegance.

How should you serve a festive starter?

A Christmas soup lends itself to several presentations.

In a small cup, it takes on a warm and intimate feel. It is a lovely way to begin the meal while your guests are still gathered for aperitifs.

In a small soup plate, it becomes more refined. The garnishes stand out better: a quenelle of cream, a few chestnuts or a crisp resting on the rim.

In a small heatproof glass, it can also be served as a verrine, as long as you keep to a small portion and the soup is not piping hot.

We particularly like to warm the tableware before plating. A few moments are enough to stop the velouté cooling too quickly.

For a starter ahead of a generous festive meal, allow about 100 to 130 ml of soup per person. This leaves plenty of room for the rest of the menu.

Two more ways to personalise your Christmas velouté

If you feel like ringing the changes, a few ingredients can change the spirit of your starter.

On a red kuri squash velouté, replace the truffle oil with a small sage leaf briefly fried in butter. Its fragrance is more herbaceous, with a lovely autumnal note.

On a spinach soup, a few lightly toasted pumpkin seeds can replace the Parmesan crisp. They offer a simple finish with a delicate crunch.

The key is to choose a single common thread for each plate. Two or three well-thought-out finishing touches often give a more elegant result than a multitude of garnishes.

Three frequently asked questions about Christmas starters

Which Christmas starter can you prepare the day before?

A soup in a small portion is ideal, as it can be reheated at the last moment. Prepare the garnishes that keep well in advance, such as toasted hazelnuts or Parmesan crisps. Save the whipped cream and hot finishing touches for serving.

How do you serve soup as a festive starter?

Choose a pretty cup or a small soup plate, and serve a moderate portion. A garnish adds the final touch: softly whipped cream, pan-fried chestnuts, hazelnuts or a crunchy crisp. Plate up just before serving to preserve the temperature and textures.

How much soup should you allow per person for a starter?

Allow about 100 to 130 ml per person for a small Christmas starter, especially if the meal has several courses. For six guests, a 780 ml jar serves six portions of 130 ml. A 500 ml jar is enough for four small portions of 125 ml.

Karine & Jeff soups for your festive starters

The pleasure of this way of cooking also lies in its simplicity: choosing a soup you love, reheating it gently and giving it a beautiful finish.

The Red kuri squash velouté, the Velvety soup with red kuri squash, mushrooms and tarragon and the Spinach soup with sheep’s milk cream and turmeric offer three different personalities to match your Christmas menu.

All that remains is to choose the cups, prepare the little garnishes and savour that lovely moment when the meal begins.