Potato Leek Soup is Excellent and Easy For Winter Meals

How often do you look at the bunches of leeks in your market's produce section and wondered whatever you would do with them? They look kind of like over-sized bizarre green onions, but the green part is very thick and tough. They are members of the same family as onions and garlic (the Alliaceae family). And they are not very expensive.
The important thing for you to know about leeks is that they taste very good and they make an excellent soup, especially when paired with potato. Vichyssoise, which you may have heard of, is actually just cold leek and potato soup -- it just sounds more elegant.

Leeks require a little bit of work; they have to be cleaned very carefully, because they usually have sand in them between their layers. So the first thing to do is to trim the top dark green tough leaves away. I usually discard anything much above where the color starts getting lighter. Then you'll want to trim away the bottom root end. Cut the leek in half lengthwise, and you'll be able to start separating the layers. Put them into a colander and clean them thoroughly with running water. There isn't a dining experience much worse than having sand grate when you take a bite of something.
Once they're cleaned well, you want to chop the leeks into smaller pieces, 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Now you're going to saute them slowly in some butter. I generally use a lot of butter, just because we really like the taste and feel this is one dish worth the splurge, but a small amount is okay -- or use a little olive oil. You want to cook the leeks over medium to medium low heat, and you want to cook them for awhile so that they soften well, but you don't want them to brown.
Once the leeks are good and soft, you'll want to add stock or water. I prefer a good chicken stock. For a couple of good sized leeks, I'll use 2 quarts of stock. You'll also be adding 4 or 5 potatoes that you've peeled and quartered. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer, and cook until the potatoes are done (no resistance when you put a fork into them).
Remove your pot from the heat. Now is when you'll puree your soup. This can be done in a blender, a food processor, or by using a stick blender immersed in the soup. With any of the methods, be sure that you take care from the heat of the soup. If your puree is too thick, you can dilute it with more stock or water. You'll also need to check the seasonings, adding more salt if necessary. I sometimes finish the soup with a 1/2 cup cream, but it is delicious without it, too.
You can start with a simple salad, then add a nice warmed baguette with butter to spread or olive oil to dip, or some nice crusty garlic bread, and you have a delicious filling meal. Your friends and family will applaud your taste and talent.

Chef Judi is a graduate of culinary school and has worked as a professional chef and caterer. She recently rediscovered the utility of countertop toaster and convection ovens. Check out her new site at http://www.besttoasterovens.org

Potato Leak Soup - The Soup Recipe Handed Down by My Mother That Never Ever Fails!

This hearty "Potato Leek Soup" is an amazing comfort soup in the winter months. I like to share this easy recipe that reminds me of my childhood memories with my mother.
These simple ingredients that yields amazing results that bought back memories each time I made it -- and no left overs!

The leek, is a vegetable which belongs, along with the onion and garlic, to the Alliaceae family. Leek has a mild onion-like taste, less bitter than scallion.
The edible portions of the leek are the white onion base and light green stalk. The dark green portion is usually discarded. You may not know that the leek is one of the national emblems of Wales and they have come to be used extensively in that country's cuisine.
How to Prepare and Clean a Leek Properly
Leeks are dirt magnets and must be carefully cleaned. Here is a simple, effective way to clean your leeks before adding it to the soup. To prepare the leeks; cut off the root end and then cut off the darkest green portion of the leaves down to the light green, which the more tender portion. Remove any ragged or course outer leaves and discard. Slice the leeks down the center and rinse the cut leeks in a bowl of cold water, drain in a colander, and rinse again with running water. All the dirt and sand and inedible leave will be gone, leaving you the perfect leek to use in this soup.
The Secret My Mom Will Kill Me if She Knew I Was Telling You...
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and sauté 3 medium leeks cut into 1 inch slices (remember only white and pale green portions) in a large saucepan over medium heat (preferable a Ceramic Dutch oven style; which does not burn the bottom when cooking) and you want to sauté the leeks for awhile so they are soften well; but do not want to brown them.
Then my mother's secret ingredient in this recipe calls for adding 6 Celery stalks cut in 1 inch slice to the soup saucepan.
Add potatoes 6 medium (Yukon Gold or Russets potatoes) peeled and diced. Add 8 cups of chicken broth. Although we always make the soup with chicken broth, this can easily become a vegetarian soup by simply using vegetable broth instead. Bring the soup to a boil; then reduce the heat to medium to simmer, place cover on saucepan and cook until vegetables are tender about 20 to 30 minutes.
Puree vegetables in batches with some liquid in food processor, blender or I prefer to use the immersed stick blender into the soup saucepan (less cleaning for me). Return puree to saucepan blending well and place over medium heat. Add salt to taste, and add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.of pepper (preferably white) to blend into soup. (Note: This portion of the soup can be made day ahead)
Reheat soup, and finish the soup by adding a splash (1/4 cup of cream) and enjoy this amazing soup with your family.

For years and years I've enjoyed my mother's potato leak soup. So much so, that I begged her to give me the recipe so that I could make it myself.
But this is her secret recipe and if she knew I was giving it away like this, she'd kill me. Of course all of the best recipes are the most secret one's right.
If you'd like more secret recipes not just like this one, but secret recipe's that all of the best restaurants in the world don't want you to know about then click here now!

Creamy Potato Soup Recipe

I realize that it is summertime, right now but there are a lot of google searches for this recipe. My job is to fill a need and this needed to be done. If you spice this soup right, you can eat it cold and it is just as good as it is hot.


When I was a young boy my family lived in Massachusetts. It got really cold in the winter time and when you had a hot bowl of soup, boy was that the best. Soup for your soul, for energy and of course to keep you warm. My mom could sure make a mean bowl of soup. Yeah, she would make Campbell's but who didn't? It was the times that she made soup from scratch, that I remember the most. Because when its very cold outside and you come in to the house and the aroma of soup hits you, well it's indescribable.

When you had soup and maybe a grilled cheese sandwich, you had enough energy to play all day. That is exactly what I used to do, we would make snow forts and then bombard your friends with snowballs. And we would make killer moon pie trails, have you seen the Olympic sledding course, well we made a variation of that. Of course ours weren't as long but beyond that we had high embankments, twists and turns that were wicked.
Believe me if you didn't eat hardy then you didn't have the energy to build what we did. Homemade soup will sure give you all you need for energy. Well lets get to it.
The ingredients:
2 - medium sized potatos(peeled and sliced)
1 - large white onion(peeled and chopped)
4 - celery sticks(medium sliced,not too thin)
I like my vegetables slightly crunchy, definitely not slushy, so I boil the potatoes until tender. 1/2 teaspoon of salt added to water to boil potatoes. When potatoes are tender, pour out water and add 3 - tablespoons of butter. Mash the potatoes until chunky consistency, not smooth and creamy. Then add 1 & 1/2 - cups of light cream and 1 - cup of chicken stock. Add vegetables, salt, pepper and paprika. You can sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on top of the individual servings for a nice color and taste.

For more recipes please visit my website Successful Cooking From A-Z.

Potato Leek Soup - An Easy Classic

Potato Leek Soup is arguably the one soup that every aspiring cook should have in their repertoire. Also called "Potage Parmentier," it is the first soup featured in Julia Child's iconic book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In fact, it is the very first recipe of any kind in the book, and I believe it holds this place of honor for very good reasons. First, it is incredibly simple to make, having only four ingredients (five if you include water) and requiring only the most basic of kitchen equipment. Second, despite its simplicity it is very tasty comfort food. Just think of it as mashed potatoes in soup form. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it is the start of many other recipes, each with its own distinctive flavor.

I used to think of Potato Leek Soup as a blank canvas, but now I consider it more like the culinary version of a "little black dress": it's simple and elegant by itself, easy to accessorize, matches everything, and works for nearly any occasion. But unlike the dress, potato leek soup is gender-neutral and completely edible.
If simplicity, good flavor, and creative inspiration aren't enough, there's another benefit: this soup is really easy on the tummy. Years ago I developed advanced symptoms of undiagnosed Celiac disease. I won't go into the gory details; suffice it to say I was ill for days and in constant stomach pain. I literally lived on this soup for a week because it was the only thing I could keep down. I have suggested this recipe to people with ulcers and other digestive issues that affected what they could eat, and so far no one has said it caused them any trouble. It's not a cure for anything, but comfort food is important when you are suffering.
You can use onions in this soup instead of leeks, but leeks have a milder flavor that won't overpower the milder potato. If you decide to use onion, reduce the amount slightly. If you decide to stay with the more classic leeks, then you'll need to clean them out first. Leeks shoot up through the soil as they grow, trapping grit in between their layers. No one likes grit in their potato soup, but fortunately it is very easy to avoid. Simply slice off the bottom half inch or so, and cut off the dark green part at the top. Now slice the leek in half length-wise. The layers easily separate, and all you have to do is run cold water over the leek, and pull the layers apart slightly to let the water run between them. After that you can slice the leeks into half inch sections.
As I mentioned previously, this soup is very easy to make. All you need to do is remember 4-3-2-1: 4 cups of chopped potatoes, 3 cups of chopped leeks, 2 quarts of water, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the potatoes, leeks and salt to the water. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce it to simmer partially covered for about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and blend using a immersion blender. You can use a regular stand-up blender if that is all you have, but do it in small batches. After blending, you can add a little butter or heavy cream. That's all there is to it!
Of course, there are a lot of ways to jazz it up. You can add some chopped fresh herbs, parsley and tarragon being favorites of mine. You can also use vegetable or chicken broth in place of water, but I really don't find it necessary. Some dried spices are nice as well, and cumin tops the list for me. But don't use too much or it will dominate all the other flavors. Watercress is a variation that Julia Child mentions in her book - just chop up a handful and add it five minutes before blending. Lastly, you can add about half a cup or so of whipping cream at the end, chill it, and voila: you have just made vichyssoise!
Trust me...learn this recipe by heart and you'll never be without ideas for any culinary situation. Whether it's for a dinner party or comforting a sick child, a simple snack or something to bring to a potluck, it's a recipe that's sure to please. For more soup ideas visit www.homemade-soup-recipes.com.

Erik Christensen
http://www.homemade-soup-recipes.com/

Crock Pot Potato Soup

This meal is a great end to a busy day. All you have to do is gather the ingredients, put in the cooker and turn it on! Most often soups are consider a winter or fall meal, but this potato soup is light soup and can be used as a spring or summer soup. This soup could be served with freshly baked french bread on the colder days. For the summer time this soup would be great with a fresh spinach salad and a bowl of fruit.

Crock pot liners are great to use for parties. A large slow cooker can be used to cook a meal for a large group. With a liner in the crock pot you do not have to worry about the meal being stirred frequently and can really pay attention to your guests. The following crock pot recipe could easily be doubled for up to 20 guests and when using a crock pot liner you can actually enjoy the party! These liners can be found at most wholesale or grocery stores. Generally they are sold 4 in a pack for around five dollars.
No-Fuss Potato Soup
Cook Time: 7 to 8 hours
6 cups cubed peeled potatoes
5 cups water
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Snipped chives, optional
In a large slower cooker (with a crock pot liner of course!), combine the first nine ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 7 to 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add milk and parsley; mix well. Cover and cook 30 to 60 minutes longer or until heated through. Garnish with chives if desired.
Yield 8 to 10 servings (about 3 quarts).

For more information on crock pot liners come visit us at crockpotliner.com

2 Easy Potato Soup Recipes to Add Variety to Your Potato Repertoire

When you have the privilege of being able to grow your own organic vegetables in your very own garden, it's nice to be able to actually make something delicious with the wonderful produce that comes of it. Instead of opting for boiled and roasted potatoes, you might be surprised at the kind of delicious potato soup you can actually make. Let's take a look at 2 easy potato soup recipes to give your dinner table a little variety.

Simple Potato Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 regular potatoes
- 3 eggs
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 cube of chicken consomme
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
Peel and crush the garlic, then wash and peel the potatoes. Start by frying the crushed garlic in a little oil (not too much), then add 10 cups of water and boil. Grate the potatoes as small as you can and add them to the water once it's boiled properly.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes, while you whisk the eggs. Add these last. If you prefer the eggs whole, then feel free to do that too.
Serve with some fresh home-made bread!
A little more complicated version:
If the last recipe was far too simple for you, try this one. With added onion and almonds, the taste is a little more exotic.
Ingredients (4 servings):
- 1 potato per diner
- 1 large onion
- 2 oz of uncooked almonds
- Sprig of parsley
- 2 hardboiled eggs
- 1 tbsp of sweet pepper
- 1 Salt
- Dash of olive oil
- Cube of chicken consomme
Fry the almonds first in a little oil and set aside. Next fry the onions with the pepper in the same oil. Add an appropriate amount of water in your soup pan and boil. Dice the potatoes, and throw them in there with the broth and salt. Simmer it all for about 20 minutes.
Once that's tender, crush the almonds along with the parsley in a mortar, and add to the soup. Dice the hardboiled eggs and add last just before serving.

Check out this website when you're ready to experiment with even more potato soup recipes!