Bacon Potato And Leek Soup With Roasted Garlic Food

LEEK, BACON & POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large pan, then fry the bacon and onion, stirring until they start to turn golden. Tip in the leeks and potatoes, stir well, then cover and turn down the heat. Cook gently for 5 mins, shaking the pan every now and then to make sure that the mixture doesn't catch.
• Pour in the stock, season well and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 20 mins until the vegetables are soft. Leave to cool for a few mins, then blend in a food processor in batches until smooth. Return to the pan, pour in the cream and stir well. Taste and season if necessary. Serve scattered with tasty crisp bacon and eat with toasted or warm crusty bread on the side.

ROASTED POTATO LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over 2 burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.
• In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, creme fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.
• When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan and crispy shallots, if using.
• Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are a rich golden brown. The temperature should stay below 260 degrees F. Stir the shallots occasionally to make sure they brown evenly. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain well, and spread out to cool on paper towels. Once they have dried and crisped, they can be stored at room temperature, covered, for several days.

POTATO-LEEK SOUP WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make the croutons: Melt 1 tablespoon butter, then mix with the paprika in a bowl. Add the bread cubes and toss. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but about 1 tablespoon fat from the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then add the leeks and garlic; cover and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, 2 cups water, the potatoes and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Puree half the soup in a blender (remove the filler cap to let steam escape), then return to the pot. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the peas and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the croutons, bacon and parsley.

ROASTED GARLIC POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Place garlic and canola oil in a small saucepan. Simmer until golden brown. Strain the garlic from the oil. (The oil can be discarded, or saved for another recipe.).
• Pour olive oil in a 5-6 quart stockpot over medium high heat. Add shallot, leeks and potatoes. Saute 12-15 minutes, or until vegetables begin to brown.
• Deglaze the pan with the wine, and reduce to 1/3 the original volume of liquid.
• Add chick stock and cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
• Pour soup into blender, add half the garlic, and process until smooth. (Be careful with the hot liquid. If you have an immersion blender, use that instead.).
• Return soup to stockpot over low heat. Add seasonings and blend well.
• Garnish with remaining garlic gloves.

GARLIC BACON POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Remove the outer skin from the garlic bulbs, but do not peel or separate the cloves.
• Wrap each bulb separately in foil.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hours.
• Remove to a wire rack & let cool for 10 minute.
• Separate the cloves & squeeze to extract 1/4 C garlic pulp. Discard the skins.
• Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp.
• Add the onion, carrot, & minced garlic and saute for 5 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, broth & bay leaf.
• Season with salt & pepper.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, covered, for 20 min or until the potatoes are tender.
• Remove the bay leaf and stir in the rosemary.
• Puree 2 cups of the soup with the garlic pulp in a food processor or blender and then return to the saucepan.
• Stir in the half & half.
• Simmer over low heat until hot.
• Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley.

POTATO, LEEK, AND ROASTED GARLIC SOUP

Steps:

• Cut top off of head of garlic and place in foil. cover with olive oil and salt and pepper. Wrap garlic and roast at 400°F until very lightly golden. set aside to cool.
• Chop cloves of garlic and slice white and light green parts of leeks. heat a table spoon or two of olive oil in a stock pot and add chopped garlic and sliced leeks. Sauté until soft. Cut potatoes into small wedges and add to the pot. sauté for just a few seconds and salt and pepper. Cover with water. Add half of the qt of chicken stock. from here, you add water and stock to taste.
• Squeeze roasted garlic out of the head/clove pods and into the stock pot with the soup. Smash any large pieces. Bring soup to a boil.
• Turn heat down to simmer until potatoes are soft. Salt, and pepper to taste. Add any other herbs or spices at this time (thyme is always lovely with chicken stock).

ROASTED GARLIC AND LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut off top 1/4 inch of each garlic head.
• Place garlic heads in small shallow baking dish.
• Drizzle oil over.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake until golden, about 1 hour.
• Cool slightly.
• Press individual garlic cloves between thumb and finger to release garlic, Should be like butter.
• Chop garlic.
• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add leeks and onion and saute until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes add garlic.
• Reduce heat to low.
• Add flour and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in hot stock and Sherry.
• Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Cool slightly.
• Puree soup in batches in blender or processor.
• Return soup to saucepan.
• Add cream and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile.
• Heat olive oil then quickly saute garlic slices till crisp and tan.
• Add lemon juice to taste.
• Season with salt and white pepper.
• Ladle into bowls.
• Garnish with fried garlic slices and minced chives.