Unit Seven:

Purée of Lentil Soup, Legume Cookery, and Roux

Please define in your own words the following:

Key Terms

Pulse – edible seeds of a leguminous plant found in pods, also known as legumes

Legumes – French for ‘vegetable’; the edible seeds found within the pods of a leguminous plant

Purée soups – to process food by mashing, staining, or chopping it and make them into a smooth
paste

Roux – Mixture of flour and fat; used as a thickening agent.

Long Soak method – This method involves letting the beans soak in a container filled with water
overnight in the refrigerator

Short Soak Method – Adding boiling water to beans and soaking for 1 hour

pH – A scale used to specify how acidic or basic a water-based solution

Minerals – A solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence

Study Questions

1.What is the basic formula for purée soups using legumes?

yield 1 gallon:
- stock or broth 5 qts.
- 2 lb. of legumes or
- 4 lb non-starchy vegetables

2.What are the 2 methods for rehydrating legumes?

Long Soak Method and Short Soak Method

3.What is the purpose of soaking beans prior to cooking?

Rehydrates; opens up pores and cooks more easily

4.Do all legumes require pre-soaking?

Most larger varieties of legumes do require pre-soaking, other smaller varieties do not

5.What is the effect of pH and minerals on the cooking of legumes?

• Calcium and magnesium, found in hard water, have the effect of toughening dried
legumes during the cooking process

• Acidic cooking liquids slow the softening process by toughening the cell walls

• Alkaline cooking liquid has the reverse effect, thus a small amount of baking soda added
will speed up cooking

• Salt added to the cooking water has the effect of slowing the absorption of water thus
lengthening the cooking time.

6.What are the general guidelines for preparing purée soups?

- thickening agent
- broth / stock
- mirepoix

7.What is the correct consistency for purée soups?

light- medium nape

8.What additional complementary ingredients are traditionally used to compliment the primary
flavor in purée soups?

Pork, Mirepoix, Sachet

9.What is an appropriate garnish for a purée soup?

Chopped herbs, croutons, diced meats, toasted or fried tortiallas, salsas, dollops of sour
cream

10. Define roux and give a ratio for its production?

Roux is a mixture of flour and fat. The ratio is 60% flour, 40% fat

11. Why should roux be cooked before usage?

It only activates at 175 degrees (uncooked roux called a beuree manie) and so it won’t taste
like flour

12. What is amylase?

Amylase is an enzyme found in starch molecules

13. What are the three colors of roux?

White, Blonde, and Brown

14. What are the effects of prolonged cooking of roux?

Longer it cooks, richer the flavor but less thickening efficency

15. What is the standard ratio of roux to liquid to create a medium consistency of thickness
using white, blond and brown roux?

For medium consistency; White is 16oz., Blond is 16 oz., and Brown is 18oz. to yield a
gallon