Soups: Potato Leek Soup?

Subject: Potato Leek Soup?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Sheryl Rosen (nospam at optonline.net)
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 16:28:34 GMT
--------
I have a bunch of potatoes that I've had for about a month or so...wanted to use them up today because tomorrow the store will have a 5lb bag of Maine all=purpose spuds for 88 cents, and I'm planning to buy more tomorrow. Don't need ALL those potatoes!

So I decided to make potato soup.

I bought leeks, and got this inspiration while at the market to use chorizo in the soup. I was searching the web last night, and found, from canada.com, the following recipe.

I am reprinting it here in its original form, but I popped it into Mastercook and scaled it down for a more reasonable batch. Will probably tweak it a bit, as I go....add some Sunny Paris for the herbs, for example. (although, I've never used chorizo, will they work together?)

Potato and Leek Soup With Chorizo and Herbs (for 8-10)

Recipe By: canada.com
Serving Size: 9

6 tbsps butter
1 lb chorizo -- sliced 1/4" thick
6 large leeks -- including the green, well washed and thinly sliced
3 lbs potatoes -- peeled and diced
1/2 -- cup shallots, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme and sage or 1/2 tsp each of dried
10 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream (or milk if you prefer)
Salt and fresh pepper to taste
2 minced fresh chives or green onions for -- (2 to 3)
garnish

Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat, add chorizo and cook 3-5 minutes until nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add leeks, shallots, and herbs to the pot, cover, reduce heat to low and cook until leeks are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add potatoes, reserved chorizo and broth and bring to a boil over medium heat, Reduce to low and simmer until potatoes are fork tender about 20-30 minutes. Stir frequently to break up the potato. (If you prefer a smoother soup you could puree the soup in batches at this point and then return to the pot)

Over low heat, slowly stir in the cream or milk, and salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes before serving. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with minced chives or green onions and serve.

For a more colorful variation try adding 1 cup of pureed roasted red bell peppers or crushed tomatoes to the soup when you are adding the cream.

Per serving (excluding unknown items): 523 Calories; 30g Fat (52% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 68mg Cholesterol; 2462mg Sodium
From: Damsel in dis Dress
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 23:25:52 GMT
--------
Sheryl Rosen said:
>probably tweak it a bit, as I go....add some Sunny Paris for the herbs,
>for example. (although, I've never used chorizo, will they work
>together?)

I wouldn't use Sunny Paris with chorizo, but that's just me. Here is a recipe for making your own chorizo. Maybe the ingredient list will help you decide what to do (or what not to do).

Chorizo Sausage de Sonora

Recipe By: Bruce C. Moffitt
Categories: sausage

2 pounds ground pork
3 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons pure ground red chile
6 small dried red chiles
5 cloves garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons cumin seed -- crushed
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons cider or wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons water

Have everything cool. Break up the meat in a large bowl, sprinkle evenly with the rest of the ingredients, cut in with two forks until evenly mixed, then knead a bit with your hands until well mixed. At this point the chorizo will keep for at least a couple weeks in your refrigerator, or let it season for a couple days in your refrigerator, then wrap it in small packages, (3-4 oz. is about right for two people), and it will freeze fine for months. It can also be stuffed into casings and smoked like any other pork sausage.

Cuisine: Mexican
Source: http://www.bruce-moffitt-recipes.com/mexican/

NOTES: Chorizo is great for breakfast. Thaw out a package, fry it up lightly while breaking it up, and when fried, scramble in a few eggs. This is wonderful by itself, or with tortillas.

Instead of the eggs, you can add a cup or so of Mexican beans to the fried Chorizo. Mash them well while they fry, and you have "Frijoles Refritos con Chorizo", excellent when eaten like grits or potatoes, and also excellent as a taco, burrito or sandwich filling. Chorizo is also good to flavor up a red chile sauce, a stew, or anything else that could use a bit of good Mexican bite.
From: Sheryl Rosen (nospam at optonline.net)
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 03:37:51 GMT
--------
actually, as it turned out, I tasted the soup near the end of the cooking process. The chorizo didn't add that much flavor, really (I was disappointed) and it needed something, so of course, I reached for SP.

It was very good soup. The chorizo didn't add much. Maybe there wasn't really enough, or maybe I diced it too small...or maybe it just wasn't the best chorizo in the world. Anything is possible.

I was thinking "I shoulda bought some pancetta..." (which I looked for, didn't find, and got the chorizo instead. Not that I can afford pancetta---but that's another story.). So I added the Sunny Paris and it turned out yummy.

Maybe my tastebuds just expect the flavor of SP with potatoes, since that's my favorite thing for potatoes.

It was a very comforting bowl of soup.

Might add some corn to some of the leftovers and turn it into corn chowder. :-)