Sweeter and milder than onions, leeks make a lovely, creamy and delicious fall soup loaded with bucketful’s of fresh market garden vegetable healthy goodness like carrots, onion, potato and celery and a dollop of Naramata Bench wine for added flavour.
Some assembly required
- 8 medium leeks (3 pound), trimmed, leaving white and pale green parts only, and chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 small potato
- 1/2 cup dry white wine…I chose Tightrope Winery’s 2015 Pinot Gris (Why not use a nice wine as you only need a 1/2 cup and the Chef can appreciate it a wonderful glass or two while cooking.)
- 3 cups chicken or turkey stock …I used my homemade turkey stock frozen from my Thanksgiving turkey
- 3 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves…still growing in my garden luckily
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
Directions
Wash sliced leeks in a large bowl of cold water and lift out and drain well in a colander. Leeks collect a lot of dirt and sand generally so need a good wash. My market leeks were perfectly clean which was a bonus. Cook leeks, onion, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper in 4 tablespoons butter in a large heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes, then add to onion mixture along with wine, stock, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in parsley and simmer soup, uncovered, 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf and keep soup at a low simmer.
Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then add flour and cook roux, whisking, until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 cups simmering stock (from soup), whisking vigorously, then whisk mixture into remaining soup and return to a simmer, whisking.
Blend soup in 4 batches in a blender until smooth. Reheat if necessary, then season with salt and pepper. Any leftover soup freezes well. (Don’t add the cream topping before freezing).
Beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it almost forms soft peaks. Serve soup topped with cream. A dollop of sour cream would also work well.
naramata-blend 