Cream Of Leek And Herb Soup With Cheese Croutons

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 6 cups vegetable stock, as needed (or water)
• 6 medium leeks, parts plus an inch of the greens, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs (try lemon thyme if you can get it!)
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/3 cup cream (or milk)
• 3 tablespoons chopped herbs (chervil, basil, dill, or tarragon or 1 tbls. chopped rosemary or lovage)
• 1/2 cup grated blue cheese (or parmesan or cheddar cheese)
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon soft butter
• fresh ground black pepper
• 12 baguette, slices toasted

Recipe

• 1 slice leeks(place roots and tops of green part in freezer to make stock).
• 2 separate the sliced leeks into rings and soak them in a bowl of water for 5 minutes. lift them out, letting any sand fall to the bottom. you should have about 4 cups, if not, make up the difference with scallions or an onion.
• 3 melt the butter in a soup pot and add the leeks, bay leaf, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 cup of the stock(or water). cover the pan and cook over medium heat until the leeks are tender, about 10 minutes. stir in flour(i mix with 1 tbls. water to form a paste), then pour in remaining stock. bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
• 4 remove the bay leaf and thyme, puree the soup, then return it to the pot. add the cream and bring to a simmer. taste for salt and season with pepper.
• 5 stir in the fresh herbs and serve with a crouton in each bowl. enjoy!
• 6 to make cheese croutons:.
• 7 mix the cheese with the dijon mustard, butter, and a little freshly ground black pepper.
• 8 toast 12 baguette slices, 2 for each person.
• 9 mound a little of the cheese topping on each slice, then broil until the cheese begins to bubble and melt.