Russian Mushroom and Potato Soup

The year was 2007. Some friends of ours had recently returned from living in Russia and had also just given birth to their third child. We wanted to bring them over a dinner that would remind them a little of home, but having very little knowledge of Russian cuisine, I was stumped. Some internet searches later, I found this soup on Allrecipes.com and decided it was exactly what I was looking for. Warm, comforting, and the word "Russian" was right in the name. It had to be a winner, right?

And it was.

The ingredient list appears unassuming, but the combination of flavors is just perfectly delicious together. A couple suggestions:

• If you have never used leeks, fear not! They are just like big green onions that need to be cleaned a bit better. Here's a site that will show you the easiest way to clean them. Also, only use the white and light green portions of the leeks. 
• The recipe calls for chicken stock, but vegetable stock also works well in this recipe.
• Don't substitute the half-and-half. The creaminess depends on it. I'm sure it would still taste good, just not as good.
• We needed more salt and pepper in our soup than the recipe calls for, so make sure you salt and pepper to your personal taste preference.

And as to whether the family liked it? We received a phone call later that evening saying that not only did they love it, but their other two children (who had pretty much been raised in Russia) loved it and actually ate more that night for dinner than they had in a while. And that made my heart happy.

Russian Mushroom and Potato Soup

Yields: 6 - 8 Servings

Ingredients:

• 5 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 6 c. chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 2 tsp. dried dill weed
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 lbs. of potatoes, peeled and diced (about 5 med. potatoes)
• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 c. half-and-half
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• Fresh dill weed, for garnish (optional)

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Mix in leeks and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Pour in broth. Season with dill, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Mix in potatoes, cover, and cook 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, but firm. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir into the soup.

In a small bowl, mix the half-and-half and flour until smooth. Stir into the soup to thicken. Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh dill (optional) and serve.

Source: allrecipes.com