lemons

Celery + green onion soup

Ryan Smith's brilliant green soup was served chilled
and topped with a salad so incredible, it could've stood
on its own.

Ingredients
2 bunches green onions
2 bunches baby celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoon sea salt
2 cups celery juice
2 each lemons
1 pound razor clams, poached and cleaned and sliced
1/4 loaf sourdough
2 bunches baby carrots, washed and shaved into thin rings

Directions
1. Slightly warm the olive oil up in a large soup pot over medium heat. Cut the white bottoms off the green onions and reserve the tops. Add the onion bottoms to the pot of oil and season with a pinch of salt. Slowly cook the onion bottom stirring constantly to prevent color.
2. While the onions are cooking cut the leaves off the baby celery. Slice the celery stems into inch pieces and add to the pot. Continue to cook the onions and celery for 10 minutes.
3. Add the celery juice and bring to a boil. Once the juice is at a boil add the celery leaves and green onion tops. Cook for 1 minute and take off the heat.
4. Prepare an ice bath and submerge a container into it that will hold the finished soup. Puree the soup in a blender on high until completely smooth. Strain the soup directly into the container in the ice bath. Chill the soup as fast as possible to retain the vibrant green color. Adjust the seasoning and reserve the soup until ready to serve.
5. Dice the sourdough into small bite size pieces. Fry the sourdough in a small pot of oil over medium heat until golden brown.
6. Make a small salad of lemon zest and juice, razor clams, carrots, and the fried sourdough. Season the salad with a little sea salt and olive oil.

To serve
Place 2 ounces of the soup in a bowl. Top the soup with the salad and a little bit of celery leaves and carrot tops.