French recipes for Bastille Day

CHICAGO (WLS) -- In the US, we have Independence Day. In France, it's Bastille Day on July 14. Since the French are known for good food, why not celebrate the holiday with a nice meal? Chicago has a number of French restaurants.

Martial Noguier, executive chef/owner of Bistronomic, and Jerome Bacle, head chef at Bistronomic, came into our ABC 7 Eyewitness News studio to show us a few French recipes.

Nichols Farm fava bean veloute:

Ingredients:

Coarse salt

3 cups Nichols Farm shelled fava beans (from about 3 pounds fava beans in the pod)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of French butter

6 onions, white parts only, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic or green garlic

4 cups homemade chicken stock

Truffle oil to taste

3 tablespoons creme fraiche

Freshly ground white pepper

Brioche croutons

1/4 cup Capriole Farm goat cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Add fava beans and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking, then drain again; set aside

2. Heat oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently until tender and translucent, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes

3. Place half of the cool fava beans in blender jar with half of the simmered broth. Cover lid with a kitchen towel since hot liquid will expand when blended. Puree until smooth. Add half of the creme fraiche and puree. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Repeat with remaining peas, broth, creme fraiche and truffle oil

4. Place saucepan over medium heat until hot. Taste and adjust for seasoning. The soup may be cooled completely at this point and stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days or frozen

5. Ladle soup into chilled bowls and serve with Brioche croutons, Capriole Farm goat cheese and truffle oil