What do you want for lunch?… “Something soupy”… That’s my standard answer to Sir Eat Alot every time he asked about my preference… More often than not, I will crave something soupy… Noodle soup, herbal soup, chicken soup, minestrone etc… You name it I’ll eat it… There’s something about the hot spoonfuls of soup that is so appetizing and satisfying…
Potatoes make really good soup… Potato soup is the perfect comfort food and makes a delicious compliment to any gourmet meal or served as the main dish… Sometimes, potatoes are added in a recipe and blended to thicken the soup…
Some people dislike the taste of leek… In this soup however, the leek taste is somewhat subtle… I used starchy Russet potatoes in this recipe… If you like, you can fry some bacon and crumble as topping for the soup instead of croutons…
The following recipe serves 4 hungry people and 6 as starters:
Potato and Leek Soup
Ingredients:
| 2 leek, cleaned, sliced (use white part only) |
| 1 white onion, chopped |
| 2 large Russet potatoes (about 160g), cubed |
| 2-3 tblsp butter |
| 1 tblsp olive oil (to prevent butter from burning) |
| 1 tsp dried basil leaves |
| 1200ml chicken or vegetable stock or water |
| salt and black pepper to taste |
| whipping cream |
| chopped parsley for garnishing |
| chicken stock granules ( optional) |
Method:
Melt butter and olive oil in a heavy-based pot over medium fire. Sweat onions and leek for 5 mins. Add basil and potato and cook another 5 mins.
Add in stock/water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer for another 30 mins until potatoes are soft.
Blend the soup in a blender, return to pot and bring to a boil. Season with salt and black pepper. Serve in a bowl and drizzle a tblsp of cream and sprinkle some croutons on top.
Note: For a richer taste, you can add more cream and/or milk into the soup. Chicken granules will make the soup taste better if you’re using water. I'm quite a health freak and I maintain a MSG- and chicken granules-free kitchen…
Parmesan Garlic Croutons
Cut 4 slices of thick French bread (or any bread that you have) into 1/2 inch cubes. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a pan. Remove from heat and stir in 3 tblsp parmesan and 1/8 tsp garlic powder (I used finely minced garlic). Add in bread cubes and stir until cubes are coated with butter mixture.
Spread cubes in a shallow baking pan and bake in the oven at 150 degrees C for 10 mins. Cool before use. Keeps for a week in an airtight container. Makes about 16 servings.
Cost/Serving: RM 1.50 (4-pax recipe), RM 1 (6-pax recipe)
