Potato Leek Soup with Drunken Leeks from Dining at The Ravens
This is one of The Ravens’ very popular soups. When it’s on the menu at night, the next day there’s none left for the staff “family meal.”
In the days of root cellars, potato leek soups were commonly served in winter. We serve this soup year-round.
Makes 4–6 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4–5 medium Yukon Gold or red-skinned potatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup minced parsley
3 large leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
6 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup coconut cream (use the top layer of coconut cream from a can of coconut milk)
1–2 tablespoons lemon juice to taste
Salt and white pepper to taste
Drunken Leeks (see note)
Crispy Leeks (see note)
Tangy Sour Crème, for garnish (below, or page 262)
Steps
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add potatoes, celery, parsley, and leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 8–12 minutes.
- Add vegetable stock, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30–40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Leave chunky, or blend in a high-speed blender to desired texture.
- Lastly, add the coconut cream, and season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and white pepper.
- Garnish with Drunken Leeks, Crispy Leeks, and Tangy Sour Crème, in that order.
To make the Drunken Leeks: Cut 2 leeks lengthwise into thin strips. In a heavy sauté pan, wilt the leek strips in 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Douse wilted leeks with 1 cup red wine and simmer for 10 minutes.
To make the Crispy Leeks: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Slice 1 leek into 1/4-inch disks and sauté in 1 teaspoon olive oil with 1 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a sheet tray and crisp up in oven for 15 minutes, or until browned.
Tangy Sour Crème
This sour crème can be used as a base dressing in potato salad or coleslaw. For those of us who like Thousand Island dressing over a wedge of head lettuce, re-create it by adding a small amount of ketchup and drained pickle relish to this recipe.
Makes 1 3/4 cups
Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) package Wildwood Sprouted Silken Tofu or 1 (13-ounce) box other firm silken tofu
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
Steps
- Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and puree until smooth.
- Season with additional salt or lemon juice to desired taste.
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