Vegetable Potage with Comté Crisps
Comté crisps are the perfect accompaniment to a steaming bowl of vegetable potage, or thick soup. This version gets whizzed together in less than thirty minutes. Dunk a Comté crisp into the soup, take a cheesy bite, and welcome to heaven!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for brushing crisps
- 2 medium onions diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1½ teaspoons salt divided, plus additional for seasoning
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus additional for seasoning
- 2 large garlic cloves coarsely chopped
- 1½ pounds sweet potatoes 2 medium, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 lemon wedge
- ½ baguette cut on the diagonal into ½-inch slices
- 1 cup packed shredded Comté 2½-ounces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery, along with 1 teaspoon salt and ½teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the sweet potatoes, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and remaining ½ teaspoon salt, along with 5 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, partially covered, 10-15 minutes, or until sweet potatoes and vegetables are tender.
- Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Using a blender or hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and a few drops of lemon juice to taste.
- COMTE CRISPS: Line the baguette slices on the prepared baking sheet and brush them lightly on both sides with olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake 4-6 minutes, or until lightly crisp on top. Turn the bread over and cook another 3-5 minutes, or until crisp on the other side. Mound the Comté evenly over each crisp. Bake 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is just melted. Serve warm or at room temperature with the soup.
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Nicki Sizemore
Nicki Sizemore is a food stylist, video host, and cooking instructor with over a decade of experience in the food and wine industry. She has produced and hosted videos for Fine Cooking magazine, Eggland’s Best, and the Comté Cheese Association, and has appeared on camera for Handmade TV and in the Now You’re Cookin! series pilot for National Public Television
