Finishing Touch: 9 Ideas & Recipes for Oils to Drizzle Over Soup

A finishing swirl of oil not only makes a humble bowl of soup look restaurant-worthy, it can also add a whole new dimension of flavor, taking a soup from so-so to spectacular. And while you can get creative, infusing oils with fresh herbs, toasted spices and even dried mushrooms, there are plenty of oils that taste special straight out of the bottle.

Here are a few of our favorite oils to drizzle over soups straight:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use the best stuff you have, or try an unusual variant like smoked olive oil.
Walnut Oil: Toasty walnut oil is especially good on simple pureed vegetable soups.
Pumpkin Seed Oil: Deep green with a wonderfully nutty flavor, pumpkin seed oil would be great drizzled over a tomato or roasted red pepper soup.
Truffle Oil: Use this oil sparingly to add a little luxury to any soup.
Avocado Oil: Try a little of this subtly nutty oil drizzled on a creamy black bean soup.

And if you're feeling a little more ambitious, below are a few recipes for infused oils.

Recipes to Try

Cauliflower Soup with Chive Oil and Rye Crostini at Bon Appetit (pictured)
Tomato Soup with Basil Oil at Food & Wine
Olive Oil Infused with Porcini and Rosemary at Epicurious
Lentil Dal with Garlic and Cumin Infused Oil at Cooking Light

What oils do you like to drizzle over soup?

Related: Fancy Flavors: How to Infuse Olive Oils

(Image: William Abranowicz/Bon Appetit)

---

Leek Soup with Dill Oil Recipe - 101 Cookbooks A rustic leek soup topped with an electric green drizzle of dill oil and crunchy toasted almonds. Recipes, Kitchen Tips, Cooking Experts, Menu Ideas - CDKitchen Get recipes for family meals, parties, holidays and more. You'll find healthy dishes, recipes by ingredient, and ideas for kid-friendly foods. Plus, advice from our ... Avocado Soup With Crisp Pancetta Recipe - Taste.com.au Avocado soup with crisp pancetta recipe - Heat 1 tbs oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until softened. Bouillabaisse - Recipe.com This classic Provencal seafood stew is loaded with clams, lobster and fish in a broth delicately flavored with fennel and pastis, a licorice-flavored aperitif. "There ... Melt and Pour Soap Recipes and Tips by Carolyn Hasenfratz Recipes and instructions for melt and pour soap crafting and related homemade bath items. Packaging ideas and links to other resources. Created by a hobbyist for ... Oregano Brussels Sprouts Recipe - 101 Cookbooks New year, new brussels sprouts recipe. This one pan-fried and then finished with a drizzle or oregano deliciousness, and toasted almond slices. Cheryl and Lisas Recipe Corner I did not write these i found them and thought that i would share them with all my friends, Enjoy! Household Tips Paleo/Primal Party Appetizers and Snacks Recipes 205 paleo/primal recipes for Party Appetizers and Snacks (Hors d'Oeuvres). Covers eggs, spreads, nuts, fruit, vegetables, seafood, chicken, bacon, and meats. Sausage & Vegetable Risotto - Johnsonville.com Enjoy the delicious flavors of restaurant dining in the comforts of your home. Johnsonville brings you this stunning risotto dish thats bound to please the most ... Recipes Guilty Carnivore When I lived in Tucson, I used to buy Santa Cruz brand red chili paste concentrate from the 17th Street Farmers Market, which was just a short bike ride down the ...

Flatbread Recipe: Manakish Zaatar Recipes from The Kitchn

I've shared how much more likely I am to eat breakfast when it's a meze style I just love being able to sample from a spread of olives, cheese, fresh vegetables, bread. Pita is nice, but when I have a little extra time, I make up a batch of manakish zaatar to eat over a few days. Topped with a fragrant, zingy blend of spices, these Lebanese flatbreads make lovely snacks and appetizers, too.

In Lebanon, manakish (also known as manakeesh and manaqish; singular manousheh) are frequently eaten for breakfast and may be topped with herbs, cheese, or meat. I especially like the versions with zataar, a balanced mix of herbs and spices like thyme, oregano, lemony sumac, and toasted sesame seeds. Blended with olive oil, zaatar makes an excellent topping for bread.

In a pinch, you could use store-bought pita bread to make this, but it's really worth the effort to make your own dough. I love the touch of olive oil in it, and kneading the soft dough is a therapeutic experience in itself. Baked briefly in the oven, the manakish turn chewy and crispy. They may be served warm (my favorite) or cooled and are especially delicious alongside creamy labneh cheese, salty olives, and a few fresh bites of cucumber.

Manakish Zaatar

Makes 8 (7 to 8-inch flatbreads)

Flatbread
1 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 (1/4-ounce package) active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

Zaatar topping*
1/4 cup ground sumac
3 tablespoons dried thyme
3 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
*Can substitute 3/4 cup pre-made zaatar blend for the sumac, thyme, oregano, and sesame seeds.

Combine the water, sugar, and yeast, and let it stand for about 10 minutes until foamy.

Meanwhile, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and work it in with your fingers. Make a well in the center, add the yeast and water mixture, and stir to form a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Form it into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise in a warm, draught-free place for about 1 hour until it doubles in size.

Preheat oven to 400F. Place a baking stone or baking sheet in the oven as it heats.

Knead the dough briefly and divide it into 8 balls. Place the balls on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let stand for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the zaatar topping ingredients in a small bowl.

On a lightly floured surface, flatten each ball of dough and roll it into a circle 1/8-inch thick and about 7-8 inches in diameter.

Press each circlele with your fingertips to make little indentations for the topping to rest in. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of zaatar topping over each round, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.

Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Depending on the size of your oven and baking stone or baking sheet(s), you may need to do several batches.

Serve warm right away or else cool on racks.

Related: Fresh Fall Snack Recipe: Za'atar Pita Chips with Yogurt Dip

(Images: Emily Ho)

---

Cooking Mela - Pakistani Urdu Recipes Indian Recipes Chicken ... Pakistani and Indian Cooking Recipes, Pakistani Recipes, Indian Recipes, Chines Recipe, Thai Recipes, Soup Recipes, Beryani Recipe, BBQ Recipe, Cooking Videos Laffa Recipe Pico-Robertson - 90035 According to Wikipedia, Laffa bread is really a variant of Taboon bread, a flatbread eaten in the Middle East so called because it is traditionally baked Za'atar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Za'atar (Arabic: zatar, also romanized zaatar, za'tar, zatar, zatr, zattr, zahatar, zaktar or satar) is a generic name for a family of related ... All About Sumac herbs and spice cooking - A Pinch Of Homepage ... All About Sumac. Recipes and information about cooking with herbs and spices. Dal Makhani Recipes - KhanaPakana.com - Pakistani Recipes Cooking ... Pakistani TV Cooking shows and Indian TV Cooking Shows From India- Chef Zakir Live, Food Afternoon with Farah, Food Evening With Rahat, Zubaida Tariq , Kitchen Queen ... Roasted Chickpeas Recipe : Alton Brown : Recipes : Food Network 9 hr 10 min; 1 pound dried chickpeas; 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided Manakish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Manakish, also manaqish, manaeesh or manakeesh or in singular form man'ousheh (sometimes called muajjant 'pastry') is a popular Lebanese food ... Sumac Chicken Recipe - Roasted over Onions and Pita Bread Apple ... Lebanese Sumac Chicken Recipe - Djaj Bi Summak - Sprinkled with sumac and olive oil, chicken is roasted over a bed of slivered onions and pita bread. How to Make Mediterranean style pizza zaatar manaeesh Pizza Zaatar manaeesh is an Arabic food consisting of dough topped with cheese or thyme or ground meat, but used widely in many Middle Eastern countries. Similar to a pizza ... Arabic and African Spice Mixes-- Ellen's Kitchen Ellen's Kitchen ... Middle Eastern and African Spice Mixes From Morocco to Pakistan, a wide variety of spice blends create the regional flavors of the Middle Eastern ...