This is just one of our favorite winter soups, because we do have many. Leeks and potatoes are abundant here this time of year so it’s easy to find the ingredients. I usually make a big batch and then have it for a couple of suppers and lunches during the week. Sometimes I’ll add other ingredients to the leftovers to change things up a bit. See Kitchen Notes for some variations.
Several things inspired me to make this soup:
With all that inspiration, how could I not make it?!
Garlic soup is a very tasty way to take advantage of the health benefits of garlic. It’s SO much better than taking a garlic pill! To make it even healthier, add some sauteed mushrooms to the finish soup. See the Mushroom Garlic Soup Recipe.
On one of our trips to New Orleans, Bobby and I ate at Bayona, owned by Chef Susan Spicer. I had a rabbit dish that was absolutely delicious as were all of the other meals that were eaten at our table that night. So you can imagine how excited I got when one of my cooking shows did a short segment on Bayona’s Garlic Soup. I immediately looked it up on the internet and bookmarked it to make one day. Well, that day has come.
But – as some of you may already know – I’m not very good at following a recipe, so the soup I ended up with probably tastes different from Bayona’s Garlic Soup. How different? I have no idea and may never know because this soup was so good that I don’t think I could make it any other way.
In the fall of 2011 we shot a short video for a contest sponsored by Chile Monster, a supplier of New Mexico chile, tortillas and tamales. The goal of the video was to “represent ANYTHING about New Mexico Chile, your LOVE for chile, Eating Chile, ANYTHING CHILE!” It sounded like fun, so we went for it!
Bobby came up with a great idea that required his brother Jeff, a person who loves eating hot food (the hotter the better), to eat a bowl of really hot NM green chile. The premise of the idea – let’s make Jeff sweat!!! For the video Bobby shot Jeff eating a bowl, actually two bowls, of fresh roasted New Mexico chile with a few beans and a little hamburger meat (recipe follows). The video should make you smile. It sure makes me smile! (NOTE: You can watch in HD if you choose. Once you hit play, click on the “360p” and select “720pHD”, then go to full screen so you can really watch Jeff sweat! 
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For several years I grew an abundance of cucumbers, so many that we couldn’t keep up with them. Even after giving cucumbers away, we still had more than enough for the two of us. Therefore, I had to come up with creative ways to use the extras, but more importantly, the ones that got away – the ones that were in hiding and grew too big for salads and sandwiches. One of my solutions was cold cucumber soup.
Recipes with a southwestern, southern flare from a well-seasoned cook. Read my About page to learn more.
