Gourmet Potato Soup With Croutons Recipes

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook the potatoes, celery, onion and bouillon in water until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in milk. , In a small bowl, combine sour cream and flour. Blend in 1/2 cup hot soup; stir into vegetable mixture. Add chives. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. , Meanwhile, for croutons, deep-fry bread cubes in oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add croutons and toss to coat. Ladle soup into bowls and top with croutons.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Melt butter in a pot over medium heat.
• Cut each bread slice into 16 cubes; add bread cubes and garlic powder to melted butter. Stir to coat. Transfer coated bread cubes to the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. In a 4-quart saucepan boil potatoes, garlic, and water, skimming froth, until potatoes, are very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Set broiler rack about 1 inch from heat and preheat broiler.
• While potatoes are boiling, in a bowl sprinkle bread with oil and salt to taste and toss. On a baking sheet arrange bread in one layer as close together as possible and sprinkle with half of Parmesan. Broil bread until Parmesan is melted, about 1 minute.
• Transfer potatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl, reserving cooking liquid in pan, and with a potato masher mash coarse. Stir potatoes and broccoli into reserved cooking liquid and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve soup with croutons.

Steps:

• Cut leeks in half lengthwise and slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Place leeks in a colander. Separate sliced leeks under cold running water and clean them. Drain well.
• Heat a medium soup pot over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, bay leaf and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Peel potatoes and thinly slice them, adding them to soup pot as you go. Season potatoes with a little salt, add chicken stock (and water if you're using it) to soup pot. Cover soup and bring to a boil. Uncover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, until potatoes are very tender. Break up potatoes to slightly thicken soup. Remove bay leaf.
• While soup simmers, rub the inside of a large mixing bowl with the cracked garlic. Slice the bread into small cubes. Add the bread to the bowl, drizzle generously with olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Toss the bread in the bowl to completely coat with oil, and pour onto a baking sheet in 1 layer. Place in the oven and toast until golden, about 6 or 8 minutes.
• While croutons bake, cut slab bacon into 1/4-inch slices, making fat matchstick shapes (or regular sliced bacon, cut into quarter inch pieces.) Cook bacon in small nonstick pan over medium high heat. Remove rendered bacon to paper towels.
• To serve soup, ladle into bowls and top with bacon, croutons, chives and cracked pepper. Serve with crusty bread on the side.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a thick-based saucepan, then add the prepared vegetables and some salt, and cook gently with the lid on for 5-10 minutes to draw out the juices.
• stir in the cornflour to absorb the juices and, when smooth, gradually pour in the cider - still stirring.
• Add the chicken or vegetable stock, cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Then add the milk and Stilton and re-heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted and the soup is just below boiling point.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper, then stir in the creme fraiche.
• At this stage you can purée the soup in a food processor or with a hand held blender or, if you prefer the texture of the chopped vegetables, keep it as it is.
• Serve the soup with the Parmesan croutons & the chopped chives.
• CROUTONS:.
• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F or pre-heat the grill.
• Place the bread cubes in a bowl, sprinkle in the oil, then stir them around until the bread has soaked up all the oil.
• Next add the freshly grated Parmesan, and stir again till all the bread cubes are well coated.
• Spread them out over a baking sheet and either bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, or else place them under the pre-heated grill, turning as necessary. (If you use the grill, watch them VERY CAREFULLY as they can burn very easily.).
• The croutons can be made well in advance and stored in an airtight tin for up to two weeks.

Steps:

• Sauté pancetta in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels.
• Add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter to drippings in same saucepan; add shallots and reduce heat to medium. sauté until shallots are soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon rosemary, then mashed sweet potatoes and 31/2 cups broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to thin soup, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Puree soup in blender or processor if necessary.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 11/2 tablespoons butter in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread cubes and remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and sauté until croutons are crisp and golden, about 3 minutes.
• Ladle soup into bowls. Top with croutons and pancetta and serve.