The cool weather and the abundance of leeks at our local farmers' market inspired me to make this easy and delicious soup for dinner last night. Serve this hearty soup as a main course with a simple green salad. Serves 4 and takes about 30 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients:
6 strips of bacon
2-3 leeks (use 3 if they are on the small and skinny side)
2 medium russett potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 - 4 cups of chicken stock (depending on how thick you want it)
Cheddar cheese, shredded (for garnish)
Salt and pepper
Step 1: Cook bacon in a high sided saute pan or soup pot until crisp.
Step 2: While bacon is cooking, cut the tops and bottoms off of the leeks, then slice the leeks in half lengthwise. Chop the leeks into 1/4 inch slices, then place the sliced leeks into a large bowl of water to rinse them (move them around in the water to separate the pieces and allow any dirt to fall to the bottom of the bowl). Remove the rinsed leeks and allow them to dry on some paper towels.
Step 3: When the bacon is crisp, remove it from the pan to some paper towels and save it to garnish the soup. Keep husband away from the bacon to ensure that some remains for garnish (this step may only apply to me). Add leeks to the pan with the bacon grease and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add a small amount of salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4: Add potatoes and chicken stock to the pan and bring up to a simmer. Put a lid on the soup and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes (if you don't have a lid, just simmer for a few minutes longer) - until the potatoes fall apart easily when a fork is inserted. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a couple minutes.
Step 5: Puree the soup in 2 batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. Once soup is smooth, add it back to the pan over low heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. If it is too thick, add some more chicken stock.
Garnish soup with bacon bits and shredded cheddar cheese. Enjoy!
8 years ago
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