This week's predicted rainy and damp weather calls for soup, and this recipe for potato and leek soup fits the bill, according to recipe creator Laurie Lufkin, host of "Inspired Cooking" on Cape Ann TV.
"I love this recipe because not only is it hearty, it is easy to make and healthy," the Essex resident says. "The tangy tarragon drizzle on the top is icing on the cake ... or the soup as the case may be."
Lufkin believed leeks and potatoes are a match made in heaven, and this delicious and hearty soup is just the thing on a cold or damp evening. Leeks are a source of dietary fiber and contain large amounts of folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.
Some chefs, especially in Europe, where leeks have long been a staple for cooking soups and other dishes, think of leeks as a poorer form of asparagus. Asparagus is connected to the leek, being in the same family as onions.
The Tangy Tarragon Drizzle makes preserving this recipe worthwhile; the dressing is fat free (using fat free mayonnaise and buttermilk) and it has many other uses on salads and grilled summer foods. A great number of vegetables go well with the nuances of tarragon. Onions, cauliflower, cabbage, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts especially go well with it, either cooked briefly or uncooked.
Tarragon has been around and used in cooking for over 2,000 years and is one a few herbs still in use that seems to have no medicinal benefits, so the taste must be good. French tarragon is the strain that we mostly use today.
Ingredients:
For the soup:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 or 3 large leeks, cleaned, white and light green parts thinly sliced to yield 5 cups
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup diced onion
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1, 8- to 10-ounce russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 bay leaves
1 slice whole wheat bread, lightly toasted and torn in to small pieces
1 cup low fat evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Tarragon leaves for garnish (if desired)
For the Tangy Tarragon Drizzle:
1/2 cup reduced or fat-free mayonnaise
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
2 teaspoons freshly chopped tarragon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
For the soup:
1. In a large Dutch oven melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add leeks, shallot and onion and stir to combine and coat with melted butter.
2. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
3. Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables are softened, stirring frequently, about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Increase heat to high and add chicken broth, sliced potato and bay leaves.
5. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until potato is soft and tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Add toasted bread and cook until bread begins to dissolve, about 5 more minutes.
7. Remove bay leaves. With an immersion on conventional blender, puree soup until smooth.
8. Stir in evaporated milk and re-season with salt and pepper if desired.
For the Tangy Tarragon Drizzle:
1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Serve soup in a bowl and drizzle some of the Tarragon Drizzle on top. Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Laurie Lufkin, Host of "Inspired Cooking," 2011.