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Creamy Leek Soup

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Coming in from the rain one evening in Geneva, food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez was served a warm bowl of comfort, beautifully smooth and gently suggestive of leeks. Her version is velvety but not at all heavy; dolloped with cool, billowy cream, the soup coaxes out the vegetable's most sensuous side.

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Ingredients

  • 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 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 small boiling potato (6 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth (24 fluid ounces)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 90mins
Adapted from gourmet.com

Preparation

Step 1

Wash sliced leeks in a large bowl of cold water, agitating them, then lift out and drain well in a colander.

Cook leeks, onion, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper in 4 tablespoons butter in a 5- to 6-quart 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 bare 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 (mixture will be thick), then whisk mixture into remaining soup and return to a simmer, whisking.

Blend soup in 4 batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), about 1 minute per batch, transferring to a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Reheat if necessary, then season with salt and pepper.

Beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until it almost forms soft peaks. Serve soup topped with cream.

cooks' note:
Soup is best when made 1 to 3 days ahead (to allow flavors to develop); do not whip cream ahead. Chill soup, uncovered, until completely cooled, then cover. Reheat, thinning with water if necessary.


Nutrition Information Per Serving
Calories462 Carbohydrates52 g (17%) Fat25 g (39%) Protein9 g (18%) Saturated Fat15 g (74%) Sodium651 mg (27%) Polyunsaturated Fat2 g Fiber6 g (26%) Monounsaturated Fat7 g Cholesterol71 mg (24%)

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