Warm up with a nice winter soup!

Winter is upon us and what isn't better than a nice hot bowl of soup on a cold and blustery day?

Leeks and potatoes provide the base for this hearty vegetable soup, and butternut squash adds a hint of sweetness. Gruyère toasts add a salty note.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces) 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 12 ounces baguette, cut into 16 slices
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese 
• 3 tablespoons chopped chives
• Freshly ground black pepper (optional) 

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add leek; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Place half of potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.
3. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 minutes or until golden. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 teaspoon chives. Serve 2 bread slices with each serving. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
4. Wine note: This is one vegetable soup that can easily handle a lighter red wine. Stick with the French theme and look for bargains from Burgundy, like Louis Jadot Pinot Noir 2005 ($20). This wine has pretty red berry fruit, great balance, and gentle tannins that make it ideal for lower-fat dishes. The underlying earthy, leathery flavors bring out the rustic nuances of the potatoes and squash. —Jeffery Lindenmuth 

Reference myrecipes.com



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7 ways to cook leeks!

Leeks can be cooked in all sorts of different and delicious ways. Try these:

Pan fried

Heat a small amount of olive oil and butter in a frying pan, add some sliced leeks and gently cook for about 5-10 minutes until tender.

Sauteed

For super-healthy leeks, saute with fennel and garnish with fresh lemon juice and thyme.

Leeks are a truly versatile vegetable. They have a milder, sweeter flavour than onions and a smooth texture similar to asparagus.

Stir-fried

Heat a little oil over a high heat in a frying pan or wok, add some prepared leeks and stir-fry for a few minutes.

Baked

Place some sliced leeks in an oven-proof dish, sprinkle with cheese or cover with white sauce and bake for 30-40 minutes at 190C.

Roasted

Pour some olive oil into a roasting tray and add leeks, making sure they are coated all over. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and roast in the oven (210C) for 30 minutes.

Braised

Pour a small amount of chicken or vegetable stock into a frying pan, add some prepared, sliced leeks, cover and gently cook for 10-15 minutes. Braised leeks dusted with fennel or mustard seeds are a delicious accompaniment to fish, poultry or steak.

Raw

Spice up a salad by adding finely chopped leeks and dress generously with vinaigrette.
Leeks make an effortlessly easy side dish. Equally, they work wonderfully in a wide variety of recipes such as casseroles, omelettes and frittatas, risottos, quiches, pasta sauces and soups.

Joanne Vanderhoef
Marketing and Media Specialist

Bone's Steakhouse
http://www.bonessteak.com
Visit out Facebook at
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