Boring Soup Revisited

If ever there were star-crossed ingredients in the culinary landscape, potatoes and leeks would fill the role. I'm not sure if I've ever cooked them separately except in cases where I bought unmatched portions for a tandem dish. Perhaps it is this seemingly forced union that results in a boring soup. Many recipes call for boiling the two in water to cover, then adding salt and maybe even a bouquet garni if one is so lucky. Heavy doses of cream and milk serve to dull any flavor that might otherwise prove noticeable. The first time I made this dish everyone involved was sorely disappointed that they had to finish the bowl. I think Es and Josh can attest here.

Sautéing and sweating the leeks until they are soft and more flavorful seems the only reasonable course of action. Vichyssoise, with its innumerable idiosyncrasies, also calls for white pepper. I'm not sure who first decided that a monochrome, homogeneous glop of liquid held any aesthetic appeal, but I'm firm in my belief that retaining some textural elements and colors other than beige will drastically improve the dish's appeal. I've used a recipe from Alton Brown here, largely because of its call for the addition of buttermilk: a decidedly welcome tang in the face of potential blandness.

I made the stock from scratch in order to probe the impact of the soup's liquid base, and can say confidently that it doesn't seem to matter much given the strong presence of ingredients present in the final product. The stock proportions came from Cooks Illustrated. For a quart and change of stock let four parts be one pound.

Potato and Leek Soup

For the Stock

• 4 Parts Dark Greens (e.g. Collard)
• 4 Parts Leek, 4 Parts Onion-Like Veggies, 2 Parts Shallots
• 3 Parts Cauliflower
• 3 Bunches Scallions, Sliced Thin
• Many Cloves of crushed garlic
• A few carrots, a stalk or two of celery
• Bottom of a stalk of lemongrass, bruised by whatever means necessary
• A few pinches of salt and pepper
• About a bunch of parsley, few sprigs thyme, some bay leaves
• 2 Cups water per part dark greens

For the Soup

• 1 Lb. Leeks (4 Mid-Sized), White and Light Green Parts Chopped
• 3/4 Lb. Potatoes (3 Medium-Small), Peeled and Chopped Fine
• 1 Qt. Above Stock, or store bought
• Less than 1 C. Heavy Cream
• Less than 1 C. Buttermilk
• Chives to garnish
• 3 Tbs. Unsalted butter

For the Stock

1. Sweat onion-like vegetables, garlic, celery, and carrots until very soft and beginning to caramelize --- 20-30 minutes. Add leeks and cook until also soft, another 10 minutes perhaps. Add a cup or so of water and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced to almost nothing.
2. Add seasoning, spices, and water and bring to a boil before backing off to a simmer and cooking for another 15 minutes or so.
3. Add any remaining and cooking for yet another 15 minutes.
4. Strain the stock through a sieve and keep around for the soup, or store in the fridge/freezer as desired.

For the Soup

1. Sweat the leeks in butter over medium heat for a few minutes before turning heat down to low. Cook for another 25 minutes until the leeks are very tender.
2. Add potatoes and stock and cook until potatoes are tender, probably a bit more than half an hour.
3. Stir in cream and buttermilk, season, and add chives for garnish if desired. Mash or puree the soup to the desired consistency.

NB: Skimping on the sweating time for the leeks will result in a much different final texture. Bruising lemongrass can be accomplished slowly by using the back of a chef's knife, but a meat tenderizer proves to be both more efficient and more fun.

Though I wouldn't exactly call this soup a flavor explosion, it does satisfy a cold weather craving for something hot (not to say I have such cravings given my surroundings.) Hopefully I can one day think of an added twist to make this more exciting.