Creamy Leek and Onion Soup with Fried Sage Leaves

Creamy soup with sage leaves.

I love making soup for lunch, particularly on cool days.  This one is simple and very tasty. Unfortunately, I had to take photos with my old camera, which turns everything yellow.  The soup was actually a beautiful creamy colour and the sage leaves were a crispy, delicate brown.
Ingredients for the soup
olive oil
2 large leeks, white part only
1 large onion
1 - 2 sticks of celery, with leaves, if possible
stock of water and stock cube
salt and pepper
nutmeg, if desired
a few sage leaves
Ingredients for the white sauce
1 oz butter (about a tablespoon)
1 oz flour (about a tablespoon)
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper

Begin by chopping up the white parts of two large leeks, one large onion and one or two sticks of celery.

Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the vegetables.

Cover and sauté gently for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft, but not brown.

Add a medium sized diced potato to thicken the soup, salt, papper and seasoning (I used a bit of nutmeg) and enough stock or water plus one stock cube to cover the vegetables.

Bring to boil, lower heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes or so until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile make a cup of white sauce by melting 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan.  Add 1 tablespoon of flour and stir to make a roux.
 Remove from heat and add one cup of milk, then put back on heat and bring to a boil, stirring all the time.










Use a hand blender or a potato masher to crush some of the vegetables, then add the white sauce to the soup mixture and continue whisking until it is blended in. Heat gently until it is back to temperature.

While it is heating, fry a few sage leaves in a little olive oil and use to garnish the soup.