Garlic-Leek Soup with Garlic Chips & Chives
Those of you who know me know that I support the World Food Programme and the issue of world famine in many ways. One way to raise awareness is with bringing your attention to World Food Day which is today October 16. It is one day set aside by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and has been celebrated each year since 1945. Please take the time to read about this day in my previous post on World Food Day and what we can each do as individuals to raise awareness.
Potatoes by far are one of my best-loved vegetables, and not merely because French fries and poutine are synonomous with my every day life. Even among those of us who eat, and LOVE a variety of vegetables, potatoes rank as number ONE. At least that is what I hear out in the blogosphere. The reasons are simple... comfort, ease, versatility...and flavour!! The tuber in a few words simply tastes good. Adaptability is the advantage of their neutrality and probably the reason why so many standard cookbooks have more options for potatoes than for any other vegetable.
Classic potato leek soup is perfect for these cooler fall evenings and perfect for bringing awareness to world hunger because it is so adaptabable as well as being inexpensive....and it can be served in a Red Cup. The WFP Fill The Cup Campaign aims to raise funds and awareness for their programs. The red cup is a symbol of hope, representing WFP’s approach to addressing child hunger.
Our Social Network BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine supports the World Food Program and their School Meals Program and is raising funds right now with our cookbook project. (The BloggerAid Cookbook will be available soon after many months of a combined effort by our members). School meals often come in the form of porridge, served in a cup. WFP encourages people to “Fill the Cup” by making a donation or volunteering to help raise awareness.
It costs as little as 25 cents to provide a healthy meal to a child in school; $50 will feed a child for the entire year.
**Garlic-Leek Potato Soup with Garlic Chips & Chives**
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium leek, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and diced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 whole heads garlic, rinsed, outer skin removed
6 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6 cups potatoes, diced (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
Garlic Chips (recipe follows)
************
Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add leek and diced carrots and cook until soft but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add prepared whole garlic heads, broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper; partially cover pot and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Add potatoes and continue to simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Discard bay leaves. Remove garlic heads; using tongs or paper towels, slice off tops, squeeze garlic heads at root end until cloves slip out of their skins. Using fork, mash garlic to smooth paste in bowl. Stir cream, and half of mashed garlic into soup; heat soup until hot, about 2 minutes. Taste soup; add remaining garlic paste if desired. Using immersion blender, process soup until creamy, with some potato chunks remaining. Adjust consistency with more broth if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and serve, sprinkling each portion with chives and garlic chips.
Garlic Chips
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, sliced thin lengthwise
salt
*********************
Heat oil and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.Cook, turning frequently, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes.Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to plate lined with paper towels; discard oil.
If creamy delicious soups appeal to you you may also be interested in:
Chunky Potato and Swiss Chowder
Garlic Scape Vichyssoise
Jerry at Cooking by the Seat of My Pants Thick and Creamy Potato Bacon Soup
Nook and Pantry Baked Potato Soup
Elise at Simply Recipes Ham, Potato and Leek Soup
Peabody at Culinary Concoctions Potato Cheese Soup
House and Home Curried Potato Soup
Mayo Clinic Potato Soup with Apples & Brie
Gluten Free Vegetarian Book of Yum) Curry Sweet Potato Peanut Soup
Orangette Fennel-Potato Soup with Dilled Crème Fraîche
The Perfect Pantry Leek Potato and Salmon Soup
