Potato Leek Soup from Martha Rose Shulman's Fast Vegetarian Feasts

One of the things I love about Martha Rose Shulman's "Fast Vegetarian Feasts" is the stories that go with each recipe. About this one she writes

I once lived on a big pot of it for a week in southern France; the landlady had left use with a huge basket of potatoes, and there was only one thing to do with them.

Think of it as an unfancy version of vichyssoise (recipe from Julia Child) where you skip peeling the potatoes and use more of the leeks.

Heat 2 Tbs butter in a heavy soup pot. Add 3c sliced leeks, stir, cover and cook 5 min until tender and fragrant but not brown. Stir in 2 Tbs ww pastry flour and cook stirring 2-3 min until just beginning to brown. Beat in 2c hot vegetable broth, stir to blend thoroughly. Add remaining 6c broth and 2 lbs potatoes, UNPEELED, diced. Bring to a simmer, add salt, cover and simmer 25-30 min until potatoes are tender.

Mash the potatoes with the back of a spoon in the pot, or blend with your favorite blender (but don't blend too much). We add 1c milk; the recipe calls for 3-4 Tbs dry vermouth or sherry; I'm sure it would be delicious with half and half or cream. Reheat if necessary until warm and serve.

Served tonight with a shredded carrot salad and with edamame.

Technorati Tags: food, recipe, potatoes, leeks, soup, vichyssoise

Comments

[TeacherPatti]

Okay, I read that first line too quickly and I thought you were posting stuff from Martha Stewart. I almost tossed my laptop in your direction (which maybe could happen...I don't think we live that far apart!!)

Then I rubbed my little eyes and the truth emerged. All is good. Soup sounds good, too!

:)

[phaggood]

Do you get your edamame from the farmer's market or from the local mega-mart? I've tried both and neither experience was that "natural yummy goodness" fans of the bean have described. How do you prepare yours?

[Edward Vielmetti]

Patrick -

The edamame we have been having has been part of the share from our CSA (from Needle Lane Farms). I don't know that it's really "edamame" - would be easier to describe it as "boiled soybeans in the pod". They deliver the soybeans still on their stalks so you have to process it yourself a bit before cooking (not hard to do).

I know there are special varieties of soybeans that are better for edamame than others, but I don't know if any of those varieties are grown around here.

Here's a pretty good article on them:

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/edamame.html