I was trying to decide what my first food post would be. I was pretty darn sure it would be one of the soups I made from The Simmering Chef‘s special series 31 Soups for 31 Days but which one? As I contemplated, I reheated a bowl of Cawl Cennin. Okay, I lie… I didn’t have just one bowl. I ate it all which amounted to one good bowl and one normal serving bowl. I even fried up some extra shallots because it would have been all wrong without.
Decision made. Please click on the soup pic to be directed to Chef’s site. You will find out more about the origins of this soup and other tidbits of information.
If you are a fan of leek soup, then you needs must try this one. And do not mistake it for a Vichyssoise or a potato-leek soup. No siree. There is but one small potato used as a slight thickener. Oh my, my. I don’t even fret that the extra shallot-parsley cream that is dolloped on top leaves me thirsty (raw onions of all sorts do that to me and I won’t stop eating them anyway).
You will note that my soup is more on the orangey-yellow side instead of the beautiful shade of green like Chef’s. Simple explanation. I used “Better than Bouillon” vegetable broth which is quite dark. I didn’t feel like putting just water so, voilà. (I have since made a HUGE batch of chicken bone broth so this will not occur in the near future.)
There are three steps to making this soup:
First you make the onion cream by whipping the cream with salt and white pepper until soft peaks form and then mixing in the rest of the ingredients.
Cover and refrigerate as you fry up the shallots. Chef pointed out that I fried them a tad too much and should have taken them out sooner as they continue to cook. Did I overcook them today? Yep. But, just so you know they were crispy and did not taste burnt so, I shall not fret. She also said that the danger of putting them on the paper towels will make them steam but I was good. I had let them drain for a good bit in the sieve before placing them on the paper towel. (Honestly, even soft these babies are addictive.)
Too dark! (But still tasty)
I then gathered all the ingredients necessary and got to chopping. The dark green parts of the leeks were washed and bagged then used for my stock.
Once everything was cooked, I used my immersion blender. I wasn’t satisfied with the texture so I poured it into the blender and whizzed it up before turning it back into the cleaned pot to warm up. So good. With Chef J’s permission, here is the recipe for you to enjoy!
Cawl Cennin
Equipment
- 1 small cold bowl to whip cream
- 1 small pot to fry shallots
- 1 Soup pot
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup heavy (35%) cream
- ¼+ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 shallot, pealed and minced
- 1 green onion trimmed, whites and greens, minced
- 1 tsp Italian parsley leaves, cleaned, dried and minced
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed, vegetable)
- 1/2 shallot, peeled and sliced - thin but not too thin
- sprinkle salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 3-4 Leeks, whites and only small part of greens, cleaned of sand and medium diced Save greens for stock (make sure they are cleaned before you freeze)
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and medium diced
- 1 shallot, peeled and medium diced
- 1 small to medium potato, peeled and mediium diced
- salt
- white pepper
- 1 lemon, washed, zested and juiced
- 1 tsp brown sugar - optional If soup needs a little sweetness
- Water or chicken stock or vegetable stock
Instructions
ONION CREAM
- Add your cream, salt, and white pepper to a cold bowl.Whip the cream to soft peaks using either a whisk or a hand-held mixer.Stir in the shallot, green onion, and parsley.Taste and adjust the seasoning.Cover and refrigerate until service.
FRIED SHALLOTS
- Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat.Add the shallots and fry until golden brown.Remove and, using a sieve over a heatproof bowl, drain the shallots immediately.Season the shallots with salt.Once the oil is cool, decant it to a jar so you can use it again.
SOUP
- In a soup pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat.Once the butter is melted, add the leeks, onions, shallot, and potato.Cover and let the vegetables sweat for 10 minutes.Stir occasionally.Once the vegetables have softened, season with salt and white pepper.Pour in the lemon juice and reduce down to almost dry.Pour in your stock or water.Return the liquid to a boil before reducing it to a simmer.Simmer for 20 minutes.Stir in the lemon zest and rest off the heat for 10 minutes.Blend up the mixture until smooth.Taste and adjust the seasoning.Return the soup to a clean pot and warm it until just beginning to simmer.Ladle into warm bowls.Top with the Onion Cream and Fried Shallots.Serve immediately.
Those fried shallots look perfect (and delicious) to me! And the soup sounds delicious, too. 🙂
They are like candy. No chips…. a little salty a LOT flavourful.. SO good. This soup is so good.
Nicely done, Dale. It is such a good soup. The next time I make it, I will not use a potato, just so it is even smoother.
Thank you, Chef! It is so very good.
I put a pretty small potato, trying to follow the recipe properly. But next time, I, too shall try without it.
Love leek and shallots, so I would love this. I also use the Better Than Bouillon veggy broth. I like your color better than the green. Good opener, Dale.
It’s an easy recipe to follow. Sure you make the cream and fry the shallots but man, do they add a certain something to the soup. And I thank you, John!
Ya gotta get The Producer to make you some (unless YOU are the cook… 😉 )
That looks great.
Thank you, kind sir!
With these frigid temperatures most of us are experiencing, you couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate recipe. Sadly, leeks and shallots don’t like me, but I’m salivating anyway. Your kitchen must’ve smelled Heavenly!
I like the personal comments you put in as you’re giving the recipe. In my mother’s hand-written recipe book she wrote notations all over…use a tad more milk…don’t beat too long…leave in oven another 2 minutes, etc. My oldest daughter has that recipe book now. It’s in good hands.
Good choice for your debut post.
Ginger
Oh shoot! Raw onions of all sorts don’t really love me and stay with me on my tongue for hours – I risk it anyway 😉 I shall make sure the next one is NOT leek and shallot heavy!
It’s how I roll, Ginger. It won’t be one of those food blogs with a gazillion of the same picture that goes on and on and on and makes you wish there was a “jump to recipe” button, I promise you that. I want it to be just like you said, A digital version of the annotated book. Lucky for your daughter!
Thank you so much! xo
Not sure about this one because cream soups don’t agree with me. Then again, that’s why there are so many soups. 🙂
It’s not a cream soup. You don’t have to add the dollop of onion cream – it’s a delicious garnish but if you don’t do cream, just skip it 🙂
Got it!
😊
Dear Dale,
Oh this looks so good. Nuff said.
Shalom and lotsa savory hugs,
Rochelle
Dear Rochelle,
It is so tasty! No more need be said!
Shalom and Lotsa love and full bellies.
Dale
Crispy shallots? Yes please.
They are crazy good. I’m forcing myself NOT to just make a huge bowl!
This looks and sounds delicious! Something from the recipe will come in useful alongside various dishes – onion cream. I’ve not come across it before.
It really is delicious. That onion cream – so good. Those fried shallots, oh me goodness.
This looks luscious!
It is SO tasty!