Soups: Potato Leek Soup w/o crock pot
Subject: Potato Leek Soup w/o crock pot
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Orrie (EB3551 at operamail.com)
Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 13:59:17 -0500
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We have a bunch of leeks still in the ground (not frozen yet). Can anyone supply with a good, maybe a little offbeat recipe for potato leek soup that does not require a crock pot?
Thank you.
From: Billy (wstoneman at icx.net)
Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 19:45:12 GMT
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This is probably one of the best soups you will ever wrap your lips around!!
Chicken Soup W/ Apples And Leeks
fruits, poultry, Soups
1 chicken, quartered
1 salt & pepper, to taste
2 tb butter
3 leeks, w/ 1 green, sliced
2 granny smith apples, peeled
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup vinegar
3 cup chicken stock
3 tb calvados
1/2 cup heavy cream
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Melt the butter over medium heat in a saute pan just large enough to hold the chicken. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook for about eight minutes over medium heat. If the butter in the pan starts to brown, lower the heat slightly. Turn the chicken and light saute in the same way for five minutes more.
Remove the chicken from the pan and place it in a bowl. If the butter in the saute pan has burned, pour it out and replace it with two tablespoons fresh butter. Add the leeks and cook them for 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir the leeks every couple of minutes. They should be soft but not brown.
Put the chicken back in the pan with the leeks. Add the apples, apple juice, vinegar and broth. Bring the liquids to a slow simmer and with a ladle skim off any fat or froth that floats to the top. Cover the pot and simmer the chicken very gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is completely cooked.
Remove the chicken and let it cool. Remove and discard the skin and pull the meat away from the bones. Cut the meat into half inch chunks.
Use a ladle to skim off any fat that has formed on the surface of the liquid in a saute pan. Add the Calvados and the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat the chunks of chicken in the soup for two minutes and serve immediately in hot bowls.
Suggestions and variations: Try adding a cup of sliced mushrooms along with the apples. The mushroom flavor goes well with the other ingredients, and the mushrooms make the soup more substantial. This soup is also delicious with curry, which can be added by gently cooking a tb of curry powder in a tb of butter and stirring it into the soup shortly before serving.
Yield: 6 servings
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Tue, 24 Dec 2002 13:55:58 -0600
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I never use a crock pot for potato leek soup.
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large leeks, thinly sliced
4 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. heavy cream
dash grated nutmeg
1 Tbs. dried parsley flakes
In a large pot, combine potatoes, leeks, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Strain soup into another pan. Place cooked potatoes and leeks in blender or food processor with about 1/4 c. broth and process until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in cream and nutmeg. Spoon into hot prepared bread bowls. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4.
Bread Bowls:
4 round loaves of white or sourdough bread, unsliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 Tbs. olive oil
Cut tops from round loaves about 3/4 inch thick to make "lids". Using a sharp knife, cut around inside of loaf leaving 3/4 inch edge for the "bowl". Hollow out the center. (Save removed bread to make croutons, breadcrumbs, etc.) Rub the inside of the bread bowls and "lids" with garlic and brush with olive oil. Bake lids and bowls on cookie sheet at 350 degrees until slightly toasted. Serve soup in bread bowls.
From: Rodney Myrvaagnes (rodneym at attglobal.net)
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 20:21:23 -0500
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I don't know any leek and potato soup that "requires' a crock pot.
You can make a fine one with just an onion, leeks, potatoes and water. The simplest is just cooking it all together in the salted water and jamming a potato masher down in the pot, tasting for seasoning, and serve.
Or, you can dice firm potatoes (like yukon gold) in fine dice and brown them in a pan while the leeks (and maybe a chopped onion) simmer. Then put them together to serve.
Or, you could use both firm and mushy potatoes, so the broth will be thickened by the ones that dissolve and the firm ones will give texture.
If you want you can puree the whole thing in a processor or blender (different effects). If you do that you might throw a clove of garlic in as you puree (know your audience).
Another thing you could do if this is for a fancy dinner is make separate soups from the green and white parts of the leeks. Then put the white soup in bowls to serve and make little squiggles with the green soup on top.
Relax, taste it as you go, and everyone will be happy. Don't get in a tizzy.