Potato Leek Soup With Cheerio Croutons

This is my favourite soup. I’ve added some spicy heat in the form of chili powder and a little bit of fish sauce for the extra unctuous.

Its thick, creamy, ultra smooth, and makes your kitchen smell so sexual. I suggest eating a bowl of this covered in big fat hot Italian sausages!

Potato Leek Soup
Yield: 10 servings
Time: 1 hour
Cost: < 50 cents a bowl

Hardware:

- heavy bottomed frying pan
- wooden spoon
- immersion blender, or regular blender + ladle

Software:

3 slices of bacon
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp butter
3 large leeks
3 stalks of celery
3 medium onions
6 medium potatoes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
8 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
1/4 cup sherry or white wine
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Chop bacon into cubes and cook on high heat in a large, heavy bottomed pot until the fat is bubbling and the bacon are little crispy nuggets of delicious.

Turn the heat down to medium-high.

Into the hot fat, add 2 tbsp of butter. When butter has melted, add in garlic, stir, and throw in your roughly chopped onions and celery. Sautee until soft. Deglaze with a little bit of white wine, beer, or stock.

Throw in your leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, 25-30 minutes until leeks have softened.

Add in your roughly chopped potatoes, water, stock, bay leaves, fish sauce and chili. Cook until potatoes are completely broken down.

Pick out your bay leaves and discard. Puree your soup with an immersion blender until it looks glossy and smooth (or a bit at a time in a blender, but that tends to be a hot wet mess).

Oregano & Parmesan Cheerios

2 cups plain Cheerios

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp red chili flakes

2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Heat butter, oregano and chili flake in a small pan until butter browns. Add in cheerios and parmesan cheese. Croutons are done when the cheese has melted and the cheerios are toasted. Sprinkle all over your soup!

Wash your potatoes well and roughly chop into 1/2 inch cubes. I don't bother to peel them, just give them a real good scrub, it's a puree'd soup anyway!

Slice your leeks and set aside.

Gather all other ingredients and have them handy.

Like most good things in the world, I like to start it off with bacon. Chop bacon into cubes and cook on high heat in a large, heavy bottomed pot until the fat is bubbling and the bacon are little crispy nuggets of delicious.

Turn the heat down to medium-high

Turn the heat down to medium-high.

Into the pan with the bacon, add 2 tbsp of butter.

When butter has melted, add in garlic, stir, and throw in your roughly chopped onions and celery.

Sautee until soft.

Deglaze with a little bit of white wine, beer, or stock.

Throw in your leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, 25-30 minutes until leeks have softened.

Add in your roughly chopped potatoes, water, stock, bay leaves, fish sauce and chili. Cook until potatoes are completely broken down. This will take at least 20 minutes.

Pick out your bay leaves and discard.

Puree your soup with an immersion blender until it looks glossy and smooth (or a bit at a time in a blender, but that tends to be a hot wet mess).

At this point I like to serve it with equal amounts sri racha, sour cream and chopped green onions.

But you can continue on and make some oregano & parmesan cheerio croutons to sprinkle over top, and that's pretty killer too.

Oregano & Parmesan Cheerio Croutons

2 cups plain Cheerios

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp red chili flakes

2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese

Heat butter, oregano and chili flake in a small pan until butter browns.

Add in cheerios and parmesan cheese.

Croutons are done when the cheese has melted and the cheerios are toasted. Sprinkle all over your soup!