First Tuesday + Fall Soup

The First Tuesday in October was the first class in our fall First Tuesday Cooking Series.  We have 6 lovely ladies joining us once a month for class and dinner together.  At each class we joke around about who will complete their homework for the month before we meet again.  Homework is simply making the recipes that we learned to make in class for their family or friends sometime during the month.  This past weekend we got a text from one of our First Tuesday ladies that read: 

Wanted you to know that as a good student, I did my homework.

I made the Potato-Leek Soup, the strata, and the cake.  

My family was in heaven!!!

We wanted to share the recipe for Roasted Potato Leek Soup from our October First Tuesday Class and maybe you'll enjoy making it for your family or friends as well. 

Photo courtesy of Kokocooks.   

Roasted Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (4 leeks)

1/4 cup good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed

1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving

6 to 7 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

3/4 cup heavy cream

8 ounces creme fraiche

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish

Crispy Shallots, recipe follows, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. 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.

3 .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.

4. 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.

Crispy Shallots

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 to 6 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings

Directions:

1. Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

2. 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.


Watch Ina Garten make this wonderful fall soup! 

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, 2008.