Top-Chef leek and potato cream soup:

About a month back I came across the Top Chef University online. I love the show and since Tom Colicchio is involved it couldn’t be too bad. For those of you who live on Mars, Top Chef is a Reality Cooking Competition, with various challenges, like The Apprentice for Foodies. Anyway for $100 couldn’t hurt to try it out, so I did. I have gone through the basics section, and it was just that, kind of like the Dummy Series of books (a reference for the rest of us). Now I am in soups, which I am pretty good at but I got a new recipe, and a different way of making leek and potato.

As anyone who has read my previous post will see this is night and day different. I like my soup French style where texture is important, I like consumes and puréed soups more that rustic ones, but this soup is amongst chowders as one of my few exceptions. This soup is super easy to make as well which is good to make in a short time on a weekday night (now I gave away that secret, my wife is going to have me to make it more often).

So what you will need: (Adapted from Top Chef University)

5 or so strips of bacon cut into lardons. + 2 strips for garnish
1 shallot diced
3 cloves of garlic smashed
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme (leaves only)
2 medium leeks sliced (white parts only)
2 russet potatoes ¼ inch cube
2 Cups cooking cream
2 cups Chicken stock
2 green onions tops only sliced on bias (Garnish)

Heat pot you are doing soup in to medium heat and start cooking bacon for garnish. Half way through add lardons and slowly brown. When the strips are cooked, remove and place on a paper towel to soak up the extra grease. Add shallots, and leeks and let soften, then add garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Add the potatoes (a little oil or butter if potatoes are sticking) and cook for 3-5 minutes before adding the cream. Cook on high for 2-3 minutes to reduce the cream, add stock and simmer until potatoes are fork tender. S&P to taste and garnish with bacon and green onion.


You can change it up to your tastes, maybe add croutons or hot sauce, but it is fine the way it is. Enjoy…

10 for 5: Leek and Potato soup

The weather lately has been gloomy and mucky, and when it gets that way, I love digging into a nice bowl of soup or stew. I had 4 cups left of my own chicken stock, that I recently made, I wanted to use for something good. To keep in spirit of the “10 with 5” challenge, I came out with a soup just for the challenge, but it has made it on our list of favourites. When you see how simple this was you will be making this one of your favourites too.

What you will need:

Oil (enough to coat leeks)

1 large leek chopped and rinsed very well

4 med potatoes chopped

4 cups chicken stock

4 cloves Garlic minced

Small handful fresh chopped parsley

S&P to taste

In a large pot take leeks and sauté them in a little oil. Add potatoes and soften. Add garlic and chicken stock. Cook until potatoes are mashable (about 20-30 minutes) and then puree the mix. Season with S&P and add chopped parsley at the end for a fresh finish.

Pumpkin and Coconut cream soup

Once upon a time, my dad took me to a Thai restaurant just outside of Toronto. On the menu, I saw "spicy pumpkin soup" and I being one to try new and strange things, gave it a go. I loved it and it was one of my most revered culinary experiences to this day. At the time I couldn't make a soup to save my life, and so it went untried at Chez Brendan. Until that is I went on a shopping spree at the farmers market on the way to the cottage, and saw pumpkins that inspired a legendary soup.

I remembered the elements of the soup and tried to work from there. I assure you once you try this soup you will have a hard time using a pumpkin for a Jack-o-Lantern again.

Pumpkin and Coconut cream soup:

1 med pumpkin (6-8 cups peeled and cubed)

2 L chicken/vegetable stock

2 heads of roasted garlic (if you want to save time, you can use 3 regular garlic cloves-minced)

3 carrots

1 onion

4 stalks of celery

3 bay leaves

1/4 tsp cumin,

1/2 tsp grated ginger *if you keep a knob of ginger in the freezer it's easier to grate

pinch of sage, cinnamon and cayenne

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp sriracha (flavourful Thai hot sauce)

1 can of coconut milk

Roast garlic:

Take 2 heads of garlic slice the tops off and individually wrap heads in foil. Bake in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. When they are done you should be able to squeeze the garlic out like a paste.

Pumpkin Soup:

Use fresh pumpkin. I have tried 2 variations for the cooking method of the pumpkin. I tossed it with brown sugar cayenne and cinnamon then roasted it, which is the best way and it can be cooked with the garlic. but the easiest is to just cube and simmer with broth and spices. Your choice. The main difference is when you add the pumpkin, if you roast it add it in the last 5 mins.

Prep all your ingredients first, because this is a pureed soup you can chop the vegetables roughly.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a soup pot (6 L or bigger). Soften onions for about 2 mins then add carrots and celery. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 mins, add minced garlic and bay leaves, cook while stirring for long enough to smell garlic. Then immediately add a splash of stock.

Simmering Pumpkin option:

Add pumpkin at this stage and the rest of stock.

Roasted Pumpkin option:

Add rest of stock, spices and add pumpkin 5 mins before done (other vegetables mash able).

Add spices, and Sriracha. Bring to a soft boil, then reduce the heat to low, and cook until vegetables are mash able. Using a hand blender puree until smooth, and then add can of coconut milk. Serve and Enjoy.

Bon appétit!