Chipotle in adobo is an easy way to bottle instant flavour. Seriously.
Chipotle has become a marketing ingredient. For a limited time get the super chipotle bacon burger! This month only – the chipotle pulled pork sandwich. It’s too bad though. It really is a wonderful flavour. Smoky, spicy and complex.You can use it all over the place. Roast pork with a chipotle gravy. Chipotle braised beef ribs. Bean dishes. Soups. Barbecue sauce. People seem to love it.
You can buy chipotle in adobo in cans and they can be pretty good. I like a puree though. Chipotle in adobo puree permeate the final dish better than finely chopped peppers. You can puree the ones that come in a can but then you are pureeing seeds. That can turn out bitter.
There are two types of chipotles. Chipotle morita are the common one in North America. Chipotle meco are much harder to find. I’m told they are far better but I can’t find any…
chipotle in adobo puree
Ingredients
- 10-12 chipotle morita
- 1/2 white onion sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup thick tomato puree passata
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp white sugar - you could double this if you like a bit sweet
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Stem the chipotles and then either slice them open with a paring knife or cut them lengthwise with scissors (safer) and remove the seeds. Heat a frying pan (cast iron works well here) to medium and toast the chiles two or three at a time until warm and pliable. This takes about 10-15 seconds per side.
- Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and simmer partially covered for about one hour or until the liquid has reduced to around 1 cup. Let cool briefly, reserve about 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid, and puree the rest. Use the reserved liquid to adjust the consistency to your preference.
- Store in a mason type jar in the fridge. If you like it, it will keep longer than it takes to use it up.
Nutrition
chipotle in adobo puree
Ingredients
- 10-12 chipotle morita
- 1/2 white onion sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup thick tomato puree passata
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp white sugar - you could double this if you like a bit sweet
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Stem the chipotles and then either slice them open with a paring knife or cut them lengthwise with scissors (safer) and remove the seeds. Heat a frying pan (cast iron works well here) to medium and toast the chiles two or three at a time until warm and pliable. This takes about 10-15 seconds per side.
- Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and simmer partially covered for about one hour or until the liquid has reduced to around 1 cup. Let cool briefly, reserve about 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid, and puree the rest. Use the reserved liquid to adjust the consistency to your preference.
- Store in a mason type jar in the fridge. If you like it, it will keep longer than it takes to use it up.
Nutrition
Without the truffle this soup is called potage parmentier when served hot and vichyssoise when served cold. I don’t think it has a name but truffled leek and potato is completely over the top.
I just don’t understand why people don’t make more soup. People always love it. And it’s way easier than doing an appetizer plus you can make it ahead of time.
Drop the appetizer from your menu and slide in a soup. Half the work and just as impressive. Ask yourself – would you rather be fussing with a fancy appetizer with the main course on it’s heels or ladle a bit of soup into a bowl. I vote for easy!
You can make the basic recipe without the truffle and serve it hot or cold. If you do that, add a teaspoon of salt when you add the potatoes and then adjust seasoning at the end. If you are going to serve it cold make sure you check your seasoning when it’s cold. It will need more salt.
Truffle salt is just that. Salt with bits of truffle. Unlike truffle oil which is an artificial flavouring agent (still tasty), truffle salt is based on the real deal.
Purists will slam you for using truffle oil. I like the salt better but the oil is still a fun ingredient to play with. You can use truffle oil here if you want – I’m not with the truffle police. Either way it’s truffled leek and potato soup in my books.
But please do try it with truffle salt if you can. It’s a whole different level of wow.
truffled leek and potato soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 2 medium onions diced
- 3-4 leeks white and light green portion only, diced
- 12 oz floury potatoes diced. Russets work well - do not use waxy potatoes
- 6 cups low sodium chicken stock homemade is always nice
- 1 cup 35% whipping cream
- truffle salt or just plain salt plus truffle oil to taste
- white pepper
- minced chives to garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium low heat and gently cook the onions and leeks until soft. This could take as long as 10 minutes. You do not want anything to brown though. Add the diced potatoes and chicken stock and simmer until the potatoes are tender, around 15-20 minutes.
- Let cool slightly and puree. You want to really puree - no lumps here. That’s why waxy or even yukon gold are high risk. Pureeing waxy potatoes is a good way to make glue. Not good.
- One little trick to be aware of. If you are pureeing in a blender you need to take the little cap in the middle of the top out to let the steam escape. Not doing this is a pretty good way to get soup on the ceiling.
- At this point you can either finish it off or just let it sit until dinner time. If you let it sit, reheat to the barest simmer to serve. In either case you will not let this come to a simmer again after you add the cream so plan accordingly.
- Add cream to the hot soup and then season with the truffle salt/oil and white pepper. You want to add the truffle salt just before you serve. I find the flavour weakens if you cook it.
- Ladle into bowls, garnish with a bit of minced chives and serve.
Variation
- If you can get your hands on fresh sorrel this is a nice flashy variation. Sweat some sorrel in butter. Follow the recipe above but omit the truffle salt. Puree the wilted sorrel in a bit of soup to make a sorrel puree. Ladle the soup into the bowl and then spoon some of the sorrel puree into the middle of the soup. Cut through the circle with a knife to drag the green sorrel puree through the white leek and potato soup. Prepare for adulation from your dinner guests and serve.
