I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the smell of leeks cooking in butter has to be one of the top five best smells that can come from the kitchen.  And for this recipe, it’s not just leeks; it’s also onions, garlic and sliced celery. Cooked until tender and then pureed and enriched with crème fraiche or sour cream, at this point the soup would be decadent as is.  But…why not guild the lily?  Finish off this green-hued soup with some crispy bacon and cubes of bread cooked in the bacon grease.  Thank you Food & Wine magazine.

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/celery-soup-with-bacon-croutons)

Tagged: bacon, bacon croutons, celery, celery soup, creme fraiche, croutons, Food & Wine, lemon oil, soup, sour cream