Soups make a greater part of our week night’s meal in the winter months. It is easy to whip up some soup and toast some bread to dip when you don’t want to prepare an elaborate menu in the cold nights. We love to have a warm bowl of soup and watch our favorite television show all snuggled up on the sofa. Sometimes a salad or a grilled chicken or vegetables come as a side but mostly it is soup and toasty bread. So I am always in a hunt for various soup recipes and try the ones which are easy and quick to prepare. I tried my hands in preparing various Chinese, Italian, Indian and American soups to suit our versatile palate. However, when this ‘leek and brie soup en croute’ was served as an appetiser to us at the Holiday party last year, at the very first sip I was bowled over by its creamy smoothness and a mild flavor covered up in a melt in the mouth pastry.

At home I tried to recreate the same remembering the taste and flavor and came up with this recipe. Since then I have prepared it quite a number of times and every time this one is a winner.

Leek is a vegetable from the onion family and so it imparts a mild flavor like onion in the dish. I paired it up with some minced garlic and green onion. Brie is a kind of cheese with a creamy texture and a mild flavor. The rich smooth and creamy texture of the soup comes from this cheese. Sometimes I prepare this as a simple soup and when I am in a mood I cover it up with a homemade pastry .This is my version of preparing the soup.

Leek and Brie Soup En croute

Recipe serves: 2 people

2/3 cup brie rind removed and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons oil
2 cups chopped leek
2-3 garlic cloves minced finely
3 stalks of green onion
3 cups vegetable stock
¼ cup cream
2 table spoons flour
1 teaspoon white pepper powder
Salt to taste
Pastry dough
1 egg lightly beaten

For Pastry dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounce cold butter
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
Ice cold water as needed to make the dough

To make the Pastry Dough

In a big bowl add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix well. Add in the butter and oil and mix in with your fingers till it gets coarse sand like texture. Add the ice cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and make dough out of it. Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface and wrap in a cling wrap and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the soup.

First to chop the leeks, discard the tuff green leafy portion and the root tips. Now finely chop the lighter green or white portion and rinse it very well in a colander under running water. Leeks have dirt in them so rinsing them thoroughly is very important. Chop the white part of the green onions as well and reserve the green part for garnish. In a heated stock pot add the butter and oil and add the chopped leeks, green onions and minced garlic and sauté. Add the white pepper powder and salt as per taste. Be careful with the salt as the cheese adds to saltiness in the soup. Now add 2 cups of vegetable stock and bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the leeks are very tender. Cool and blend the mixture in batches until smooth.

Bring the blended mixture back to the pan. Make a smooth mixture of flour with ½ cup of vegetable stock and add to the leek mixture. Add the remaining stock and the cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Slowly add the chunks of brie and let it melt. Slowly stir the mixture. Cook till the soup is thick and the cheese is melted. Taste for seasoning.

Pre heat the oven to 400 F. Ladle the soup between two oven proof soup bowls or casseroles. Divide the pastry sheet into two portions and roll out each portion into a disc about the size of the diameter of the soup bowl. Brush the sides of the bowl with the beaten egg and place the rolled pastry over and press the sides of the rim to seal. Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash and if you wish decorate with some cut outs of the pastry trimmings. Brush the cutouts with egg wash as well. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes in the oven or till the pastry is puffed up and lightly golden in color.

After it comes out of the oven let it stand for 5 minutes. Enjoy with some salad as a side.

Tips:

It is very important to clean the leeks in running before cooking. You can use chicken stock to enhance the flavor. The pastry dough stays good for a week in the fridge and for a month in the freezer. You can skip making the pastry dough and use a store bought puff pastry sheet instead. You can even serve the soup as is, without the en croute and garnish with some chopped green onions and serve with toasted French bread.

Sending this warm bowl of creamy soup to Sayantani’s Winter Warmer Recipes where she is also giving away E-Gift Coupon sponsored by couponation to a luck draw winner.

Stovetop Naan: Indian Flatbread |Basic Recipe Series|

2 Replies

I often hear my friends say that they are intimidated to try new recipes in fear of ruining the whole thing. They are mostly comfortable cooking the daily menu with less hassle and adventure. They keep their cravings to be satisfied in a restaurant or take-out food. For me it is always the other way round. Whenever I try something new out, I have to give it a try at home. At first I look up for recipes, tweak to suit my taste and ease, thus come up with my very own version. It is true that sometimes I fail badly, sometimes I alter method or ingredients in my next attempt but I keep on trying till I achieve success. So the key is to keep trying and have faith on oneself.

The other day one of my close friends requested me to give her some basic recipes to try at home, some detailed recipes so that she can follow every step without altering and get a sure shot success. From her proposal I got an idea to start a ‘Basic Recipe Series’ here so that the beginners, the newlyweds or anyone who fears to cook can benefit.

I shall try my best to give detailed list of ingredients, methods and try to keep it simple but you may not come up with flying colors in your first attempt so keep trying. I would love to help you if you go wrong.I know while cooking and specially in baking you need to follow recipes but I feel the best way is to follow your heart and use your common senses.

Today in the basic recipe series, I am sharing a naan recipe where you do not need any fancy tandoor or oven. You can completely rely on your good old tawa or skillet and enjoy the slightly stretchy yet soft naan with all the smoky goodness, just like the one from the tandoor restaurant. I don’t like the ‘bread’ like puffed up naan which nowadays are available in the grocery stores. These are soft yet pliable and can be rolled up into wraps with some grilled chicken bits or veggies.

So what are you waiting for? Tuck your hair, roll up your sleeves and march to the kitchen to try out this simple recipe. I am sure very soon you’ll impress your near and dear ones.

Scoop out your favorite curry with a piece of freshly prepared naan and enjoy as it melts in your mouth.

Stovetop Naan: Indian Flatbread

Recipe Makes 2-3 medium sized naan

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup plain yogurt at room temperature
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dry yeast
¼ cup water at 110 F

First dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water, cover and let it stand for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile mix in the flour and salt and set aside. When the yeast is frothy add in the flour mixture along with the yogurt and oil. Knead to form dough. You may need some more water to knead the dough. Adjust water so that the dough is sticky and not dry.Oil your palms and continue to knead the dough for 5-8 minutes to form the gluten which gives the finished naan a stretchy texture. The dough should now feel soft and smooth. Form a ball and place on a greased bowl, brush the top with some oil, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise to double in size in a warm place (approx. 40-45 minutes).

After the dough has risen, place a heavy bottomed skillet or tawa on a stovetop at a very high heat. Meanwhile punch down the dough lightly and divide and roll into small balls. Roll the balls on a lightly floured surface into a thin round disc. Lift the rolled disc and stretch from one side to form a ‘tear’ shape. Dust off any excess flour and apply a little bit of water on one side of the rolled naan. Put the wet side down on the skillet and wait till you see big bubbles forming on the surface of the naan (approx.1-2 minutes) Flip and cook for another minute. Now place the naan with a tong directly over the flame to get some charred effects on the naan. Place the prepared naan on a plate and brush with butter. Repeat with rest of the dough. To keep the naan warm wrap with an aluminum foil.

You can cut the naan into halves while serving with your favorite curry. Enjoy!

Tips:

To get a soft naan, make sure that the dough is not too dry. Dry dough will lead to dry and chewy naan. Use warm water to proof the yeast. If the water is too hot the yeast will not rise resulting to flat dough. It is important to use yogurt at room temperature. If you are not comfortable handling the naan directly over the open flame, you can use a wire mesh as we use in making normal chapatti or roti.You can add toppings of your choice on the naan, like- crushed garlic, chopped coriander leaves, nigella, sesame seeds etc.

Stovetop Naan is Yeastspotted!

Gajar ka Halwa with Pistachio Coulis

Leek and Brie Soup En Croute

Stovetop Naan: Indian Flatbread |Basic Recipe Series|