🍴Servings: 4 🍽️ Pre: 10 mins 🥓Cook: 1 hr
🥓INGREDIENTS:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ medium leeks, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 ½ large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 6 large celery ribs (1 pound), trimmed and thinly sliced
- 2 ounces bacon, finely diced
- One and a half 1/2- inch- thick slices of country bread, cut into 1/2- inch dice
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
- Lemon olive oil, for drizzling
🍳INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1:
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add leeks, onion, garlic and salt and pepper to taste and cook over medium- high heat, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 12 minutes. Add celery and stir until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 8 cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
Step 2:
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to half of a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in bacon grease. Add bread and cook over medium- high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, 8 minutes. Transfer to other side of prepared baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.
Step 3:
Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan, stir in heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with bacon, croutons and a drizzle of lemon olive oil.
