French Potato Soup Food

IRRESISTIBLE FRENCH POTATO AND LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Trim and discard the green tops and root ends of the leeks. Halve the leeks lengthwise and swish the stalks thoroughly in cold water to remove dirt and sand. If desired, rinse the stalks under running water as well.
• Drain the leeks, dry with a paper towel, and slice into thin, even strips .
• Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté them until tender but not browned. This should take about 4 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, chicken stock, bouquet garni, salt, and pepper, and bring the soup to a simmer.
• Cook the soup for 25 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender. To check the potatoes, poke one with a paring knife: If the knife cuts through with little resistance, remove the pan from heat.
• Put aside a few leeks for garnish. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.
• Puree the soup until smooth and silky using a blender , food processor, or immersion blender. Do this in small batches, to avoid splatters and burns.
• Carefully transfer the hot potato and leek soup back to the saucepan and stir in the heavy cream.
• Gently heat the soup-avoid boiling it as high temperatures could curdle the cream.
• Garnish with reserved leeks and serve immediately with a side of crusty bread or a sandwich. Or, if desired, chill the soup in the refrigerator and serve it in the traditional French style.

FRENCH FRIED POTATO CHEESE SOUP

Steps:

• Combine potatoes, water, bouillon, onion salt, paprika and pepper in a large saucepan.
• Bring to a bowl and reduce heat.
• Simmer, covered, for 8 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
• Beat with a mixer until smooth.
• Add milk and soup and mix well.
• Cook until heated through.
• Add cheese gradually, stirring over medium heat until melted after each addition.
• Do not boil.

CREAMY FRENCH FRY AND SCALLION SOUP

Steps:

• Set the oven to broil with a rack set about 4 inches from the heat source.
• Peel the zest away from the lemon in long strips, avoiding the white pith. Place the lemon zest, rosemary sprigs and oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and heat until the oil just comes to a simmer, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to sit at room temperature while you prepare the soup.
• Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the white and light green parts of the scallions (about 1/2 cup) and the garlic. Cook until softened, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, 2 cups water and the French fries, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until the potatoes soften and start to break apart in the broth, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, strain the rosemary and lemon strips from the oil. Juice the lemon and whisk into the strained oil. Season with salt and pepper. Brush some of the oil onto the halved baguette, place on a baking sheet and broil until lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• Once the potatoes are fully softened, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until completely smooth. Season with additional salt if needed.
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream. Drizzle with some of the remaining rosemary-lemon oil and garnish with the dark scallion greens. Cut the baguette into smaller pieces and serve alongside the soup.

FRENCH ONION SOUP POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• For the caramelized onions: In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once melted and bubbling, add a large handful of the onions and cook until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat until all the onions have been added. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn medium brown, about 30 minutes. If the onions start to get too dark, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of beef stock as necessary. Add the sherry to deglaze the pan. Add the mustard and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• For the potato gratin: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, cut the potatoes into thin slices. Do your best to keep the potatoes in a stack--this will make it easier to layer them in the pan. Set the potatoes aside.
• Use the reserved butter wrapper to lightly grease the bottom and sides of a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet. Discard the wrapper.
• Arrange a thin shingled layer of potatoes in concentric circles around the skillet. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, then arrange an even layer of caramelized onions on top of the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a medium bowl, combine the Gruyere and mozzarella and reserve half for later use. Sprinkle on a layer of the remaining cheese mixture over the onions. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients (not including the reserved cheese) have been used. Press down firmly on the layers to flatten.
• In a large bowl or measuring cup, combine the heavy cream and beef stock and pour over the gratin. Cover the skillet with foil and place on a sheet pan. Bake the potatoes, covered, until the top and edges have begun to brown and the potatoes are tender, 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 minutes. You can test by inserting a knife into the potatoes; if it goes in and comes out without resistance, then the potatoes are done.
• Remove the skillet from the oven, remove the foil and turn the broiler on high. Combine the croutons and French fried onions. Cover the gratin with a layer of the crouton mixture followed by the remaining cheese. Broil until golden brown and bubbly, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

FRENCH POTATO SOUP WITH LEEK

Steps:

• Saute leek in olive oil in a large pot 2 minutes.
• Add onion, garlic, celery, and potato, saute 3-5 minutes.
• Add water, stock, and salt. Bring to a low boil.
• Simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender.
• Remove from heat, strain off half of liquid and reserve.
• Process potato/leek mixture in small batches in a food processor. Return to pot with reserved liquid.
• Season to taste.
• Stir in milk and serve hot.

LUXE FRENCH POTATOES

Steps:

• Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Place potatoes in a large wide heavy pot. Add 1 1/2 tsp. salt and enough cold water to cover by 2". Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes break apart when pierced with the tip of a knife, 35-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook garlic, cream, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted. Whisk in nutmeg, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. salt. Remove from heat.
• Drain potatoes and immediately pass through potato ricer into a large bowl. Stir in cream mixture until smooth.
• Return half of potato mixture to wide pot; reserve remaining potato mixture in bowl. Add Gruyère and mozzarella and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until cheese is melted and mixture can be stretched with the spoon (like warm mozzarella), about 10 minutes. Transfer to gratin dish; smooth top.
• Working in batches if needed, spoon reserved potato mixture in bowl into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe very tight rows of 1/2x1/2" rosettes on potato-cheese mixture in gratin dish. Bake until top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

FRENCH MARKET SOUP

Steps:

• Sort beans and rinse in cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1-4 hours or until beans are softened., Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid; return beans to the pan. Add the ham hocks, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 hours or until beans are tender., Remove ham hocks; set aside until cool enough to handle. Add the tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, garlic and chili powder to the beans. Simmer 1 hour longer., Remove ham from bones and cut into cubes; discard bones. Return ham to soup. Stir in the kielbasa, chicken, wine and parsley. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and as thick as desired.

HOLY MOLY POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 10 ingredients. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles; drain. Add to slow cooker., Cook, covered, on low to allow flavors to blend, 4-5 hours. Add cheese and onion dip in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Stir before serving. Serve with tortilla chips., Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little water if necessary.

FRENCH ONION POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Place a layer of sliced onions on the bottom of the baking dish. Add a sprinkle of French onion soup mix and a layer of bacon pieces, followed by layers of potato slices, shredded cheese, and cream. Continue adding layers of the remaining ingredients, ending with a layer of shredded cheese on the top.
• Spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes and onions are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until nicely browned and bubbly, about 10 minutes more.