Dear Customers,
A month or so ago during the week leading up to Easter, I wrote a column about the different types of hams and how to cook them. Many of you were probably thinking, “I’ve been cooking Easter hams for decades, so I certainly don’t need his help!”
When I offer these ‘helpful suggestions’ it’s because I know there are a lot of young couples out there for whom cooking a big dinner such as Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter is a daunting task. Whether it’s your first time or tenth time, we all are beginners at some point.
That’s why I was a bit surprised when an “older” friend of mine, Dave Lerch mentioned that he had read the ham column and enjoyed it. Then he further remarked that in a future column, I should publish a ham & leek soup recipe! My first reaction was to ask him if he possessed such a recipe, to which he replied, “Yes, and it was the best ham & leek soup recipe I ever tasted – but I lost it!”
Well, since I couldn’t rely on Dave to put his hands on the “best ham & leek recipe ever”, I had to resort to my old standby – the internet and hope for the best! I chose a recipe that also featured potatoes with ham and leeks just because I enjoy some body in my soups. . .
Begin with 3 cups of diced leftover ham.
| ¼ cup unsalted butter | 2 cups leeks, cleaned & chopped |
| 1 cup celery, chopped | 3 cloves garlic – minced |
| 1 tsp dried thyme | Kosher salt & black pepper-to taste |
| ¼ cup all purpose flour | 32oz low sodium chicken broth |
| 1 ¼ cups whole milk | 8 cups russet potatoes, peeled & dice |
| 10oz shredded cheddar cheese | 1 ¼ cups light sour cream |
- Clean leeks. Slice off the dark green tops and root ends, then cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse the layers thoroughly under cold running water or swish them in a bowl of water to remove any hidden grit or dirt.
- Dice veggies. Dice the leeks and celery and place in a bowl. Then peel and dice the potatoes and place in a separate bowl. Mince the garlic.
- Sauté veggies. In a stock pot over medium heat, add the diced leeks and celery. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and dried thyme – and stir for another 30 seconds. Next add 1/4 cup unsalted butter, 2 cups leeks, 1 cup celery, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Add flour. Add the flour to the top of the veggies and stir constantly for about two minutes, or until flour fully absorbs. Then add the chicken broth and milk, stir well, and turn heat up to medium-high until boiling. Add the diced potatoes cook until fork tender, stirring occasionally. Add additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Add remaining ingredients. Then add the sour cream light, shredded cheddar cheese, and leftover ham. Stir well and let simmer until cheese is melted and soup is piping hot.