St. Patrick’s Day Potato Soup With Pesto

Ingredients

FOR THE PESTO

• 1 large garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
• 1 cup creme fraiche
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

CREME FRAICHE

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream

FOR THE SOUP

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 medium leek, rinsed, chopped (white part only)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, trimmed, chopped
• 3 large baking potatoes, peeled, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. 1

   TO MAKE THE CRÈME FRAICHE: gently warm the heavy cream. Remove it from the heat and combine it with the buttermilk or sour cream in a glass bowl. Mix well, cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Give the mixture a good stir once it has thickened, then cover and refrigerate. It will thicken even more once chilled.

2. 2

   TO MAKE THE PESTO: crush the garlic with the salt and place the mixture in a blender or food processor along with the basil, olive oil and nuts. Blend until the ingredients are finely pureed. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the basil mixture into a small mixing bowl. Fold in the grated cheese and blend well. Carefully stir in the crème fraiche. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. 3

   FOR THE SOUP: melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme, leek, onion and celery and cook gently, reducing the heat after a minute or two, until the vegetables are quite tender, about 5 minutes. Do not allow them to brown at all. Add the potatoes, chicken broth and cream. If the potatoes aren’t totally submerged in the liquid, add a little water. Simmer the mixture for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and tender. Puree the potato mixture using a hand held blender or a blender or food processor. Stir in the buttermilk. Wipe the saucepan clean and pour the pureed soup through a fine sieve back into the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup while it is still very hot into soup bowls and place a good dollop of pest in the centre of each serving. Run a toothpick through the pest to drag it out decoratively over the surface of the soup.

4. 4

   Great Potatoes.Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh.