Creamy Leek Soup with homemade vegetable stock

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   Ahead of time, cut the leeks into rings and rinse well in water.

   KnifeCutting board
2. 2
   Heat the butter and oil in a large pot over medium heat.

   StoveLarge pot
3. 3
   Add the onion and fry 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   Stove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
4. 4
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   Stove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.

To assemble

1. 5
   Add the leeks and fry, until it softens.

   Stove
2. 6
   Put the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, garlic, bay leaves and thyme in a large pot with the cold water.

   Large pot

   💡Start with cold water: the vegetables release their flavor slowly as the water heats up.
3. 7
   Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam.

   Stove
4. 8
   Turn down to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered 30–45 minutes.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
5. 9
   Strain the stock through a fine sieve.

   Fine sieve
6. 10
   Add the vegetables and stock and bring to a boil.

   Stove
7. 11
   Turn down the heat and simmer 20 minutes, until the vegetables is completely tender.

   Stove
8. 12
   Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.

   Stick blender
9. 13
   Add the cream and nutmeg, season with salt and black pepper and heat another 5 minutes.

   Stove

   💡The cream or cheese goes in after blending, over low heat: a hard boil after adding them can make the soup separate.
10. 14
    Serve with bread.