A couple years ago when I visited Milan, Italy I dined at the restaurant Joia where I sampled some of the most inventive vegan meals I’ve ever experienced. It’s a shame, really, that I had to travel to another continent just to enjoy a vegan meal that celebrates vegetables rather than replicate a meat dish. But I digress. Blub (pronounced bloob) is aptly named for the sound the soup makes as you eat it. Yes, Blub is a soup. But not just any soup.
Blub is a layered soup, one that you eat without stirring together the ingredients. In order to eat Blub just right, you will need a tall glass instead of a bowl (a 12-oz glass is perfect for one serving!). I won’t like to you: there is quite a bit of prep work that goes into the making of Blub, and knowing the amount of work necessary totally justifies the 18,00€ charge for the soup were you to dine at Joia.
I should also mention that joia changes the ingredients of Blub with the season. How cool is that? Once you have an idea of how to prepare Blub, you can experiment with it in as many different ways as you choose! This version of Blub uses the ingredients chosen at the time of my dining experience.
The layers (in descending order):
- Pumpkin soup with amaretto biscotti
- 1 Tbsp parsnip, peeled and cut into ¼” cubes
- ¼” – ½” disc of frozen broccoli purée
- A dollop of vegan pesto—at most two teaspoons.
The disc of broccoli purée is wedged into the glass above the dollop of pesto. It’s important to make sure you can (safely) wedge the disc into the glass with a sufficient amount of air above the pesto. As the pumpkin broth thaws the disc, the air at the bottom of the glass rises to the surface and creates the signature “Blub” sound.
As I mentioned previously, this recipe requires some work on your part to make and assemble. I’ve linked to different sites where you can get the recipes to make the various components of the soup. Blub should be made on a weekend when you have time to invest in this recipe. Unless you work at home, then get cracking!
You will want to prepare the broccoli purée the night before, here is a recipe for achieving the integral component of Blub.
Ingredients
- 2 large bunches (about 2½ pounds) broccoli , trimmed
- 1-2 Tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup vegetable broth
Directions
- Chop broccoli into ½”-¾” pieces.
- In a 12″ skillet over medium heat, melt vegan butter.
- Cook broccoli, shallots and garlic, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, stirring 3 to 5 minutes, until shallots are tender.
- Add broth, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until broccoli is very tender and liquid has almost completely evaporated.
- Using your immersion blender (or in a food processor), purée until smooth.
- Pour purée into a shallow pan or dish; cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and freeze.
- The next day, using the glass you’ll use for serving Blub, press the top of the glass into the frozen purée; cut out the disc using a sharp knife (careful now!).
Arrange the layers as described above—it’s best to crumble the biscotti into the soup so you’re not trying to choke down whole cookies. Do not eat Blub until the pumpkin soup thaws the broccoli and you hear the sound “blub!” Remember not to stir the soup, just work your way down to the bottom of the glass.
Buon appetito!
That looks fabulous. Er, sounds fabulous. now I just wish someone would make it for me tonight!