Soups Dejour I mean Galore.

Tuesday it was a blustery cold cloud day. I had leeks, onions, and potatoes that I needed to use or they were going to go bad. So I decided it was soup day. Soup is very easy to make, it is cheap and it freezes well.  A couple of times I year, I have soup day where I make 2-3 different types of soup and then jar it and freeze it for later. I made two different soups. Potato Leek Soup and French Onion Soup.


Let's start with the Potato Leek Soup. In order to do that let's talk about leeks.

                                    
 

Leeks are a member of both the garlic and onion family. They were originally found in Mediterranean countries. They have a milder and more subtle flavor then that of an onion or garlic yet it does have onion like under tones.  Leeks can be used as a substitute to onions in most dishes. The dark green part is generally used in stocks as well as to wrap different things in. The light green/white stalk is the edible part and can be boiled, fried, and eaten raw. They make great side dishes like creamed leeks or leeks and potatoes. Many uses for them. I love leeks.

Leeks have to be cleaned very well. They are full of gritty sand and dirt... 

To clean them whole. Grab the green leaves hold them together and quarter then just to the stalk. Spread them apart. Run them under cold water shuffling the leaves to get all of the dirt out.

I always slice mine then clean them :

Slice the root off of the leek. Thinly slice the leek up until you reach half way through the light green portion. Throw the green away. Place the slice leeks into a colander and place in the sink. Sift leeks in the running water with your hands separating them in to individual circles. Once you can see they are completely rinsed. Pat them dry.

Potato Leek Soup

Equipment: 6 quart sauce pan or a dutch oven, Immersion hand blender or regular blender, Utility Knife and cutting board, colander, Potato Peeler, and Spatula.

1 bunch of leeks (greens discarded, light green/ white stalk sliced very thin and cleaned well)

5 medium russet potatoes (peeled and medium dice)

5 tbsp unsalted butter

6 cups of Chicken or Vegetable stock (1.5 quarts) (see my page on how to make stocks)

1 cup heavy cream

Kosher Salt

Garnish- Handful of chopped chives, 4 or 5 pieces of bacon crumbled, Cracked Black Pepper . (mild shredded cheddar if ya like cheese)

Place sauce pan or dutch oven on stove top. Melt the butter. Add the leeks with a good pinch of salt. Cook on med/low heat for 25 minutes or until leeks are tender. Stir every few minutes.

Add the stock and potatoes. Turn up the heat to med/high. Bring stock to a boil. Reduce heat to med/low. Simmer until potatoes are soft about 45 minutes. Turn heat off

Now there are two different things you can do next. It depends what type of soup that you want .

For a more hearty and rustic soup- remove half of the soup and place it in a bowl. Use the immersion hand blender (or pour the rest into the regular blender) and puree until soup is nice and smooth. Then add the rest of the soup back in to the pan. Mix in the heavy cream.

For a creamy soup- place the immersion hand blender in the pan and blend all of the soup until smooth. (pour all of the soup in batched into the blender and blend) Mix in heavy cream.

Garnish with the bacon, chives and pepper. 

Serve immediately or wait and serve it cold. The cold version is traditionally called Vichyssoise (Vee-SHE-swahz).

French Onion Soup

            

Equipment: 6 quart sauce pan or dutch oven, 8-16 oz souffle dishes (or oven proof bowls), Utility Knife and cutting board. Spice bag or cheese cloth, cookie sheet and aluminum foil.

5 large sweet onions quartered and sliced thin

2 cloves of garlic minced

6 cups of Beef Stock (1.5 quarts)(see my page on Beef and Chicken Stock)

2 tbsp flour

1/4 cup dry white wine or cooking wine

5 sprigs of fresh Thyme

1 Bay Leaf

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Garnish- 1 loaf of crusty bread like a french baguette. 2 cups of shredded Gruyere Cheese (or just use swiss to save money)

Place saute pan on stove top. Drizzle with olive oil. Saute onions and garlic on medium/low heat until onions are tender and yellow. Use a pinch or two of kosher salt and sprinkle the flour on the onions. Cook for another 8- 10 minutes. Until flour is browned.

Place the Thyme and Bay Leaf in the spice bag or cheese cloth.

Add beef stock and wine to the pan. Bring to a boil. Add spice bag. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Turn Broiler on high

Slice bread into 1/2 inch slices. Butter them and place them on the cookie sheet. Broil until golden brown 1-3 minutes. (keep an eye on them) Transfer them to a plate.

Cover the cookie sheet with foil. Place souffle cups or bowls on the cookie sheet. Ladle soup into the bowls. Place a slice of toasted bread on top of soup and cover with the cheese.  Broil for 5-6 minutes. Until the cheese is browning. (always watch things in the broiler they can burn fast)

Enjoy!