Potato-Leek Soup

Oh, 'tis the season for soup! We got bread from Companion Bakery and dipped it into this soup for a real stick-to-your-ribs winter meal. 

Potato-Leek Soup
-1 lb. leeks
-2 bay leaves
-20 back peppercorns
-4 sprigs fresh thyme
-2 tablespoons butter
-4 strips bacon, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
-5 cups chicken broth
-1 lb. russet potatoes, diced
-1 1/2 teaspoon salt
-3/4 teaspoon white pepper
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-chives, chopped, for garnish

1. Make a bouquet garni by tying the bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns in cheesecloth and securing with kitchen twine.

2. Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside.

3. In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is very soft and has rendered most of its fat.

4. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil.

5. Add the reserved bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt and white pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful.

6. Remove the bouquet garni and, working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender. (Alternately, if you own an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot.) Stir in the heavy cream and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Garnish with the chives and serve immediately. 

Pumpkin-Apple-Leek Soup

Photo by Katie Guymon

The heat finally broke in Saint Louis, and I am ready to get my fall on! You all know that I am obsessed with all things pumpkin. I mean, my heart beats for this particular gourd. So, on top of pumpkin spiced lattes and O'Fallon's pumpkin beer, I added pumpkin-apple-leek soup to the weekend menu.

Growing up in Southern Illinois, my parents always took us to Mary's in Herrin for special occasions: my granny's birthday, my grad school graduation, my uncles visiting for the holidays.... It's not often that I visit the restaurant these days - we're talking maybe once a year - but one thing is a guarantee. I pray to God that the soup of the day is the pumpkin-apple-leek soup, a freaking delicious sweet-savory combination topped with melted cheese that makes my taste buds swoon. And, really, I can't tell you the last time that I won the second course lottery because in recent years, I've had to settle for potato bisque or corn chowder. Life is unfair, I tell you.

So, I had to take matters into my own hands. My mom recently gave me a recipe for curried pumpkin soup, so I combined bits of that with bits of one of my favorite fall meals, Barefoot Contessa's roasted butternut squash soup. And then I improvised with apples and got a little loco with cinnamon. I know. Stuff's getting serious.

Pumpkin-Apple-Leek Soup
-2 tablespoons of butter
-2 teaspoons of garlic, minced
-5 leeks, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped
-1 tablespoon red curry
-2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
-3 14.5 oz. cans of low-sodium chicken broth
-2 15 oz. cans of pumpkin puree
-1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
-1/2 cup of half-and-half
-salt and pepper to taste
-freshly grated Parmesan cheese
-fresh parsley

1. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Add the garlic and the leeks until soft, approximately 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the curry and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add the chicken broth and apples and cook until the apples are tender.

5. Add the pumpkin and cinnamon and cook for ten minutes. Puree the soup with a immersion blender.

6. Add the half-and-half and the salt and pepper.

7. Garnish with the Parmesan and parsley to serve.