Saturday, December 18, 2021

Creamy Leek Soup with Shoestring Potatoes and the Weekly Menu #SoupSaturdaySwappers

This amazingly delicious, sinfully creamy, decadent soup is a wonderful holiday treat.  It makes a perfect, impressive first course at your Holiday Dinner Table.

Creamy Leek Soup with Shoestring Potatoes

It's time for Soup Saturday Swappers......

I am hosting this month and asked our group to share recipes for an elegant first course soup to serve up with our holiday meals. 

Let's see what everyone cooked up for us today........

leeks

The soup I'm featuring today starts with sauteeing leeks, garlic and onions in butter until softened and then adding water and simmering for half an hour.  

shoestring potatoes

While the vegetables are simmering you can make the shoestring potatoes.  I used my food processor shredding plate to make quick work of cutting the potatoes into matchsticks.  Then I popped them into my deep fryer until they were golden brown and seasoned them liberally with  herbs de Provence, black sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Leek Soup Pin

When the vegetables are completely soft place into a heavy duty blender with half of the cream and sour cream and puree until smooth.  Return to medium low heat, stir in remaining cream and sour cream and stir until smooth and heated through.  Serve in shallow bowls topped with a generous handful of the shoestring potatoes.

You will feel like you are eating an adult version of French Onion Dip and Chips.  It is a wonderful, holiday indulgence.

This afternoon I am attending a painting class with friends.  Frank is in charge of dinner.  Tomorrow we are having Christmas Brunch at our daughter, Nicole's house.  

The rest of the week will be getting ready for our Food Pantry Christmas Distribution on Wednesday.  Thursday we have a couple of doc appointments to attend and then on Christmas Eve we will be going to Frank's brother's house for Wigilia before going to sing at Midnight Mass.

So here is our Weekly Menu leading up to Christmas.  I will be posting my Christmas Menu later in the week so stay tuned for that.

Saturday-Painting Class
Frank making dinner

Sunday-Brunch at Nicole's
Asian Ginger Chicken Salad

Meatless Monday
Pizza Montanara

Taco Tuesday
Huevos Rancheros

Wednesday
Out to eat after Food Pantry Distribution

Thursday
Italian Sausage Soup
Beet Bread

Friday-Dinner at Dan and Rebecca's
Wigilia (Traditional Polish Meatless Christmas Meal)



First Courses, Soup, Vegetarian, Onions, Leeks,
Soup
American
Yield: 8 servings
Author: Wendy Klik
Creamy Leek Soup with Shoestring Potatoes

Creamy Leek Soup with Shoestring Potatoes

This amazingly delicious, sinfully creamy, decadent soup is a wonderful holiday treat. It makes a perfect, impressive first course at your Holiday Dinner Table.
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Ingredients

Soup
  • 1 stick butter
  • 6 large leeks, white and pale green parts, halved lenghtwise and sliced into half moons.
  • 1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 c. light cream
  • 1 c. sour cream
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Shoestring Potatoes
  • 1 large russet potato, peeled
  • 1 T. Herbs de Provence
  • Sea Salt (I used black sal de mar)
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Canola Oil

Instructions

Soup
  1. Melt butter in a large heavy soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 c. water and cook stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes, until vegetables are very soft.
  2. Place into a heavy duty blender with 2 1/2 cups of the cream and 1/2 c. of the sour cream. Puree until smooth. Return to pan with remaining cream and sour cream. Cook and stir until smooth and heated through, adding more water as needed to reach desired consistency.
  3. Divide between 8 bowls and top each with a generous helping of shoestring potatoes
Shoestring Potatoes
  1. Cut the potato into thin matchsticks. ( I used my shredding plate on my food processor). Rinse under cold water until water is clear and then pat dry. (I use my salad spinner insert as a colander and then spin the potatoes dry.)
  2. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep pot filled with 2" of oil until it reaches 350*. Add the potatoes, in batches if necessary, and fry for about 2 minutes, turning occasionally until golden brown and crispy. Place onto paper towel to drain, sprinkling with herbs, salt and pepper while still hot.
  3. Can be made up to 2 hours before serving.

Notes:

Adapted from a recipe found in Epicurious.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

532.68

Fat (grams)

47.27

Sat. Fat (grams)

25.38

Carbs (grams)

23.39

Fiber (grams)

2.31

Net carbs

21.08

Sugar (grams)

9.85

Protein (grams)

7.32

Sodium (milligrams)

333.43

Cholesterol (grams)

134.43

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