POTATO-AND-LEEK SOUP WITH WHITE TRUFFLE

Potato-and-Leek Soup With White Truffle image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Categories weekday, soups and stews, appetizer, side dish

Time 45m

Yield 6 cups

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

6 medium leeks
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ounces smoked bacon or smoked ham, in one piece
1 small stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 cup riesling wine
10 ounces (about 2 medium) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 cups chicken stock
1 sprig thyme
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons white truffle oil
1 small white truffle

Steps:

Remove the outer leaves and the coarse green part from the leeks. Split them lengthwise and rinse well. Slice thinly, keeping the green and white parts separate.
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a soup pot set over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is cooked but not browned. (Lower the heat if necessary.) Add the white part of the leeks and the celery and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the potatoes, stock, thyme and garlic. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the green part of the leeks and cook a few minutes, until just tender but still bright green.
Remove and discard the bacon and thyme sprig. Working in batches, puree the soup, adding the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to the blender as you work. Return the soup to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Just before serving, reheat the soup and whisk in the truffle oil. Cut the truffle into slivers and stir it in. Serve with croutons if desired.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 276, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 19 grams, Fat 18 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 8 grams, Sodium 641 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams