Caramelized Leek Soup
It was warm on Sunday, but I bought leeks on Saturday with the intention of making soup. I've been saving this recipe for Caramelized Leek Soup for a while. I made just a few minor adjustments noted in italics.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 pounds leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 bunches)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 cup vermouth
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used about 5 cups) Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version
- Garnish: 4 teaspoons finely sliced fresh chives
- Added: 1 tsp thyme
- Added: approximately 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Added: drizzle of white truffle oil
Directions
- Halve leeks lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise. In a large bowl of cold water wash leeks well and lift from water into a large sieve to drain.
- In a 6-quart heavy kettle cook leeks in butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until some begin to turn golden, about 40 minutes.
- Stir in sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
- Stir in vermouth and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated and most leeks are golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Deglaze kettle with 1/2 cup broth and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes more, until liquid is evaporated and leeks are deep golden. Add thyme and black pepper.
- Add remaining 3 cups broth and bring soup just to a boil. Season soup with salt and pepper and drizzle with white truffle oil.
I also pulsed my immersion blender in the soup just a few times to puree some of the leeks and give the soup some thickness. The picture below is before blending, but there were still full pieces of leek after blending.
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This soup was different that what I had expected - definitely good, just different. It tasted a bit like cabbage soup. I tasted it before and after adding the thyme, and was happier with it after the addition.
