Hedden Family Recipes

Leek and potato soup

Adapted from the recipe of Henri-Paul Pellaprat:

Pellaprat, Henri-Paul. 1966. Modern French Culinary Art, p. 404. Cleveland and New York: The World Publishing Company. ISBN-13: 978-1199239280

Ingredients:

• 2 large leeks
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• ½ to 1 celery root (celeriac), depending on size (optional)
• 1 small fennel bulb and stalks (optional)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5½ cups vegetable bouillon
• 1 small sachet garni: 2 bay leaves, thyme springs, one sage leaf
• ½ to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on how salty the bouillon is
• ¼ teaspoon white or black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon powdered sage
• ½ teaspoon mace
• 1½ pounds potatoes, cubed
• ½ to 1 pound mushrooms, chopped (optional)
• ¼ cup kefir
• Chopped chives for garnish (optional)
• Crusty bread or a sandwich for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare 5½ cups vegetable or other bouillon. Add salt, pepper, powdered sage, mace, salt, and sachet garni. Hint: you can put the mushrooms in the broth to make the broth tastier. However, take the mushrooms out before combining the broth with the cooked leeks: do NOT put mushrooms in the blender. Return the mushrooms to the finished soup in step 9, shortly before serving. Another hint: if you put the cubed potatoes in the broth and heat the broth during the other steps, you can shorten step 6 below.
2. Wash leeks. Trim and discard root ends and tips of the green ends. Halve the leeks lengthwise and swish the stalks thoroughly under cold running water to remove dirt and sand.
3. Chop celeriac and fennel bulb and stalks into small pieces (optional). If fennel fronds are available, set them aside for garnish.
4. Drain leeks on a paper towel, and slice into thin, even strips.
5. Put olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic as well as celeriac and/or fennel, if using, and sauté until tender, but not browned. This should take about 10 minutes.
6. Once leeks are soft, add potatoes and vegetable broth (including sachet garni) into pot containing leeks, and bring to a boil. If mushrooms were heated in broth, remove them and set them aside: do NOT add them at this point. Turn heat down to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender. If potatoes were boiled in the broth, this step can be shortened.
7. Remove sachet garni, and use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree the soup it is until smooth and silky. Do NOT put mushrooms into the blender. If using a blender, do this in small batches, to avoid splatters and burns: fill blender no more than half-way, and cover when blending. After each batch of soup is blended, transfer it to a second pot. (Hint: use the pot in which the bouillon was prepared.)
8. Return sachet garni to the soup and heat it gently – avoid boiling.
9. If mushrooms were removed from broth, return them to the pot at this point. Otherwise, clean and chop mushrooms and add to finished soup as it heats before serving (optional).
10. At some point, add kefir. This can be done earlier to mix it in thoroughly or at the end for a more heterogeneous appearance, or the kefir can be served separately and each person can add as much as s/he wants.
11. Garnish with chopped chives and/or fennel fronds and serve immediately with warm/toasted bread. At this point, you can also chill the soup in the refrigerator and serve it in the traditional French style.