Julia Child’s Potato Leek Soup In A Mason Jar

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to focus on the winter holidays to come. Ugly Christmas sweater parties, winter wonderland ice skating, and holiday dinners are just a few reasons to stay warm and healthy – you gotta be able to enjoy all of December’s social offerings.

That means it’s full-on soup season!

Mason jars, excellent vessels for liquid meals, will help you transport and store any kind of soup you’re craving, be it the chicken noodle soup you’re bringing to a friend with the flu or the cozy tomato soup you’ll be having with a grilled cheese sandwich at work. Imagine our trusty MJ by your hot and steamy bowls – they’re great.

As an example, I chose to make Julia Child’s classic potage parmentier, or potato leek soup. I used red skin potatoes with the skin on to give the puree a heartier texture. I also minimized heavy cream (Julia, I know… blasphemy) and used extra stock to make the creamy soup lighter. You won’t be surprised by how flavorful Julia’s recipe turns out to be, but you will be surprised that it doesn’t feel too rich, even with the cream—between festivities, it’s just as tasty and comforting as the holiday treats. Give it a try and let us know what other soups you’ll be slurping this month. Happy holidays, and especially, happy soup season!

Potato Leek Soup

Adapted from Yum Sugar via Julia Child 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound or 4-5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped (I used red skin potatoes and left the skin on because I like the heartier texture.)
• 1 pound or 3 large leeks and thinly sliced (frozen leeks also work)
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• Salt, to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 1/3 cup minced parsley or chives

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large (6+ quart) stockpot or dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the leek and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have begun to soften and brown slightly, about 8-12 minutes.
2. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Remove from heat and blend until smooth either using an immersion blender, or by carefully transferring to a blender in batches.
4. Add the cream, and season to taste with salt (start with 1 teaspoon) and lemon juice. ( I found that the potato leek puree is already delicious without cream, so if you’re like me and like to avoid the richness of cream, you can loosen the puree with 1/4 cup of additional stock and 1/4 cup of regular milk.)
5. Ladle into mason jars for easy storage. When ready to serve, pour into bowl, warm up, and garnish with minced parsley or chopped chives.

Servings: 6