Vegetarian potato-leek soup

[mojoman]

I'm having a small dinner party for an ovo-lacto vegetarian next weekend.

I like leek and potato soup and, it being winter and all that, was planning to make it.

Before I get a lot of flack for using a commercial stock, the guests are definitely not foodies. When we went to their house, she served a veggie stew that tasted like barely salted water with some sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, and collard greens in it. Bleeach!!!

Anyway, I was going to sweat some leek and garlic in a little butter. Then add some boxed vegetable stock and some cubed russets. Cook for 45 minutes or so. Season, puree and finish with some half and half.

I would ordinarily do the same with chicken stock. Will it be OK with veggie stock or would you do something else (maybe a tomato soup with good canned tomatoes?).

I was thinking about garnishing with a crostini topped with blue cheese? I was also considering crispy fried shallots. Any other thoughts for garnish?

[jackal10]

Leave out the veggy stock, and no need to cook so long.

I prefer my leek and potato not pureed. If you cook that long the potatos (small dice) will fall apart and the leeks lose their color.

Lots of butter, and no need for garnish - maybe a swirl of cream

If you want a pureed soup do the same, maybe a carrot for colour.

Cream and chives are the traditional garnishes.

You could serve something like pierogi in the soup or on the side, but no need

[weinoo]

When I make a "vegetarian" vegetable leek soup, I use no stock at all. Good amount of leeks, sweated in butter and olive oil, a clove or two of garlic and cubed, peeled russets (equal amounts of leeks and potatoes works well). Let it simmer for a good 45 - 60 minutes, then crush potatoes lightly with a wooden spoon.

Salt and pepper to taste.

[Chris Amirault]

If you don't want color and heft, this won't work, but I usually deeply brown a lot of mirepoix, toss in some roasted garlic and/or onion confit, and make sure there's a good deal of mushrooms in the stock base whenever I make vegetarian stock.

[Arey]

On page 13 of The Way To Cook, Julia Child has a whole section devoted to "The Leek And Potato Soup Family". Her basic formula, leeks, potatoes , water and salt is very good, and she offers suggestions on how to make it even better.

[Jim Dixon]

Add celery root. Here's my recipe.

Jim

[Jonathan Kaplan]

I actually like the plan as stated, with the modification suggested by several people already that there is no need to add stock.

Sweat leeks and garlic, add potatoes, salt pepper, and some water, cook until potatoes are falling apart tender. Puree, strain through a fine strainer. Back into the pot w/ a bit of heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasonings.

I love the fried leek garnish idea -- mostly because I love fried leeks! Serve with a swirl of sour cream or creme fraiche (in either case lightened with enough cream to make it easy to swirl) and top w/ the leeks.

This is one of my 'go to' soups (w/o the fried leeks, but...) and it never disappoints...

jk

[rob7]

I usually use chicken stock, but, a couple weeks back when I went to make my soup I found that I had none so I thought I'd make my own vegetable stock. I wanted to make a stock that would be suttle and not overpowering. Also, over time I've added less and less potatoe to my soup as I prefer a pronounced leek flavor rather than a potatoe flavor.

So, what I tried doing with my stock was to use the dark green tops of the leeks that are normally trimmed and discarded. I chopped them, put them in a pot with an onion, carrot, celery, parsley, covered with water and simmered for a couple hours. I ran the stock through a sieve and discarded all the solids and used that as my stock.

The soup was probably the best tasting I have made. The flavor of the leek came through very nicely. It was definitley more of a leek and potatoe soup that potatoe and leek soup...if that makes sense.

[Porthos]

On page 13 of The Way To Cook,  Julia Child has a whole section devoted to "The Leek And Potato Soup Family".  Her basic formula, leeks, potatoes , water and salt is very good, and she offers suggestions on how to make it even better.

←

This has been my standard recipe since I got the book way back when.