Creamy Leek And Parsnip Soup Recipes

CREAMY LEEK AND PARSNIP SOUP

Steps:

• Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and parsnips, and stir to coat. Add the 2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste.
• Let vegetables sizzle and cook, stirring frequently until nearly caramelized, but without browning, until softened, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add bay leaf, turmeric and garlic, and stir to coat. Increase heat to high, add water or broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes more. Taste broth and adjust seasoning.
• With a blender, purée soup to a creamy consistency. (Small batches work best.) Thin with water or broth, if necessary - it should be like a thin milkshake, not thick and porridge-like.
• Reheat the soup before serving. Serve plain, or give each bowl a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil or a dollop of crème fraîche or yogurt, if desired.

CREAMY LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot and add the leeks and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until leeks are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about a minute, until the garlic smells fragrant. Add the stock or water, the rice, bay leaf and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
• Puree the soup with an immersion blender or a food mill, or in batches in a blender, taking care to remove the lid or take out the center insert and to cover with a towel to avoid hot splashes. Return to the pot, heat through, and add pepper to taste and a pinch of cayenne if desired. Serve hot or cold. If you wish you can thin out with milk, plain yogurt or a combination of milk and creme fraiche. Garnish with chopped chives or croutons.

CREAMY ROASTED PARSNIP SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place the parsnips and carrots into a mixing bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss to coat the vegetables with oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables evenly over a baking sheet.
• Roast in the preheated oven until the parsnips are tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened and the onion is beginning to turn golden brown, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the butter, garlic, brown sugar, and the roasted parsnips and carrots. Continue to cook and stir until all of the vegetables are very tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Season with the ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper; stir for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer gently until all of the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
• Stir in the milk and cream. Return to a simmer over medium-low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

CREAMY PARSNIP SOUP

Steps:

• Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks (reserving 1/2 cup for garnish). Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
• Add parsnips, apples, potato, broth, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. Return it to pot; stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Leek Garnish.
• To make leek garnish, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Add reserved 1/2 cup leeks; cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

CREAMY POTATO AND LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir leeks, garlic, salt, and pepper in the hot butter until leeks are tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
• Stir chicken broth and cornstarch together in a bowl until cornstarch is dissolved; pour over the leek mixture. Add potatoes to the broth mixture and bring to a boil; season with onion powder and garlic powder. Reduce heat, add half-and-half to broth mixture, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat and blend soup using a hand blender until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

LEEKS AND PARSNIPS: SAUTEED OR CREAMED

Steps:

• Clean the leeks and discard the dark green portions.
• Cut the leeks lengthwise then into one-inch pieces.
• Melt the butter in a medium skillet, med. heat.
• Add the garlic and fry 'til fragrant.
• Add leeks and fry until the leeks are tender, about 6-minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel and chunk the parsnips into one-inch pieces.
• Place in a steaming basket and steam 'til they are as tender as you prefer. I like them fork-tender. Drain parsnips and add to the skillet with the leeks. Add salt and pepper.
• Gently sautee together for 5-minutes.
• At this point you can serve it, OR continue on and cream it:.
• In a jar with a screw top, add the half-n-half and arrowroot. Shake 'til blended.
• Turn heat to low under the leeks and parsnips. Pour in the arrowroot mixture, stirring gently as you pour.
• If too thick, gradually add the water (or use milk if preferred). Let simmer for a couple of minutes. Taste to adjust seasoning, probably an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Serve warm.

LEEK-AND-PARSNIP SOUP WITH CAVIAR AND BLACK-PEPPER CREAM

Steps:

• Make the soup: Cut a round of parchment to fit inside a large pot. Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add leeks and a pinch of salt, and cover with parchment round (this will help keep moisture in). Cook, lifting parchment to stir occasionally, until leeks are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir in parsnips, potatoes, chicken stock, 2 1/2 cups water, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, partially covered with lid, until parsnips are soft, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Working in batches, puree vegetable mixture in a blender, being sure to hold lid down.
• Return soup to pot, and stir in milk. Reheat soup over medium heat (do not boil).
• Make the black-pepper cream: Stir 1/4 teaspoon pepper into creme fraiche.
• Ladle soup into 8 small bowls, and top each with a dollop of black-pepper cream and 1/2 teaspoon caviar.

GINGERED PARSNIP & LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Leeks have a good amount of sand trapped between the layers in both the white and green parts. Be sure to soak, rinse and clean well so as not to spoil the final results.
• Add olive oil, sliced leeks and ginger to a large sauce pan over medium heat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the leeks begin to soften and the ginger becomes fragrant.
• Peel and slice the parsnips into 1/4 inch thick disks. If the vegetables are large, cut in half lengthwise before slicing. Add the sliced parsnips to the pot and cook an additional 7 to 8 minutes. Should the pan get dry, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vegetable broth to keep the pan from scorching.
• Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the white wine. Cook for 20 minutes uncovered. When done the vegetables should be soft and tender.
• Place the soup in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. (I use an immersion blender for this step.) Season with white pepper and salt to taste.
• Ladle into bowls and garnish with a small dollop of yogurt (or for a more elegant presentation you can thin the yogurt and make swirls or a web pattern) and a small sprinkle of smoked paprika.