sweet potato leek soup

I may have to change the name of this blog to "for the love of soup" if I keep going at this rate. I just love soup! This weather is made for it. While it's beautifully sunny outside, it's amazingly brisk. The kind of weather that I think asks for soup. Or at least the kind of weather that makes me ask for soup?

Honestly, soup was something I was never very skilled at making. Just ask my college roommate about the french mushroom bisque debacle circa 2003. She can attest that debacle is the precise word to describe that sorry attempt at bisque. It seemed like it was going to be ok...but no. And all efforts to save the soup failed as well. I think the pot sat on the counter for two days before I even had the motivation to toss it. Gross, I know, but it was college. Dishes were hardly a priority. I have since risen to the challenge and now soup is something I love to make.

This recipe was originally pulled from Bon Appetit magazine and called for maple syrup in addition to the ingredients below. I never bothered to add it because the balance of leek and sweet potato was just too good. I think the syrup would dilute it. Also, don't skip the celery leaves. They're amazing!

sweet potato leek soup
makes 6 to 8 servings

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 small celery stalks, stalks and leaves chopped separately
2 medium leeks, sliced and well rinsed (white and pale green parts only)
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 pounds (about 5 cups) red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cups chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups half & half
salt and pepper

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium - high heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes. Add chopped celery stalks and leeks and saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add potatoes, chicken stock, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove cinnamon stick and discard. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot. Add half & half in small amounts until soup reaches desired consistency. Stir over medium - low heat to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with celery leaves before serving.

Tip: Store celery leaves separate from soup when keeping leftovers.

chanterelle mushroom & leek soup

I've been feeling a little under the weather this week which always makes me want to eat soup. Lots and lots of soup. Thankfully I have an awesome roommate who also likes to cook. And thankfully she made some amazing soup this week. The result was so amazing that I decided I needed to write about it, even if I didn't cook it myself.


The soup kick was actually less a result of me contracting the swine flu (kidding...) and more a result of scoring a grocery bag full of some beautiful chanterelle mushrooms. I first learned about chanterelles while reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. The author, while seeking out the sources of the foods he eats, stumbles upon a chanterelle mushroom in his backyard. Unable to identify it, he ends up tossing it only to find out later that it was indeed the real deal and not a poisonous look-alike. Fortunately we had nothing to worry about since our bag of mushrooms came to us from a skilled mushroom hunter; one I hope my roommate remains in touch with for completely selfish reasons.

After some debate and the mushrooms staring at us from the countertop for a few days, we decided soup was the way to go with quantity of shrooms we had. Below is the recipe my roommate decided to try and I have to say, it was absolutely delicious! Enjoy!

chanterelle mushroom & leek soup

3 tbl butter
3 tbl olive oil
1/2 lb potatoes, skin on, but into 1/4 pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs chanterelle mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp towel, stems trimmed
1 c sweet onion, copped
1 leek, washed well and sliced
1/4 cup white wine
7 c chicken broth
1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
3 tbl fresh parsley
salt & pepper
1c half and half
2 tbl flour

Heat olive oil and butter in a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium - high heat. Add potatoes, cover and cook until they are a bit tender and starting to brown a bit, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chanterelles, onions and leeks and cook for 5 minutes, while stirring frequently. Add white wine and continue cooking for an additional 2 minutes. Pour in chicken stock, chili flakes, parsley, salt and pepper and stir. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Puree approximately 3 cups of soup in a food processor or blender. Return pureed soup to pot. In a small bowl, whisk flour with half and half until well blended. Pour into soup pot and continue to simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.