Nettle Leek And Potato Soup With Garlic Brown Butter Croutons Recipes

POTATO, LEEK AND NETTLES SOUP

Steps:

• In soup pot, heat butter over low heat. Add leeks, cover and cook 10 minutes until tender.
• Add potatoes and 3 cups water. Cover pot and simmer 15 minutes, until tender.
• Add nettles & cook 5 minutes until tender & wilted (push under liquid). Blend in food processor until as smooth.
• Return nettles to pot and stir in half & half. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bring soup back to high heat just short of boiling (do not boil).
• Stir in most of onions or chives.
• Transfer to individual bowls, sprinkle with remaining onions or chives & serve.

NETTLE, LEEK AND POTATO SOUP WITH GARLIC-BROWN BUTTER CROUTONS

Steps:

• Bring five quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Prepare another large bowl with ice water. Using gloves, strip the leaves from the picked nettles and discard any stalks or seeds (although you want to pick before seed stage: see note in article). Give the leaves a rinse to remove any dirt and then add leaves to the boiling water. Blanch until fully wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the leaves and transfer them immediately into the ice water. Stir them gently (you can use your hands at this stage) until cool, then drain in a colander. Roughly chop the cooled nettles and set them aside.
• Melt the butter in a 6 quart soup pot set over medium heat. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the potatoes, stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Turn the heat up to high and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fully cooked through, easily pierced with a paring knife, about 15 minutes. Add the blanched nettles and simmer everything together for another 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and remove and discard the bay leaves. Purée the soup either using an immersion blender or, working in batches, a standing blender (return the soup to the pot). If the soup is too thick, add water to thin it to the desired consistency. Stir in the lemon juice and crème fraîche and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
• Heat a medium (8-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the butter and swirl until melted, then raise the heat to medium and cook , swirling often, until the butter turns light golden brown and smells nutty, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the bread pieces, toss in the garlic butter until coated and keep cooking and tossing until the bread browns and crisps in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve the soup hot, with a swirl of crème fraîche and some garlic croutons on top. Decorate with a few fresh violets, if using.

PERFECT POTATO, LEEK AND ONION SOUP WITH GARLIC CHEESE TOASTS

Steps:

• SOUP:.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks, potatoes, and onion. Saute until onion is tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Add broth and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches puree cooled soup in a blender ( or use a hand emulsifier in the pot). Return puree to pot. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold. Cover and keep refrigerated).
• GARLIC CHEESE TOASTS:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Stir olive oil and garlic in a small skillet over low heat until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute; remove from heat and cool. Add cheese to garlic in skillet; toss and combine. Arrange bread slices on baking sheet. Spoon cheese mixture onto bread slices, dividing equally. Bake toasts until cheese melts, about 10 minutes.
• Bring soup to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle generously with chives. Serve with the garlic cheese toasts.