flipLeek Soup
Leek Soup
Why this dish? Duras devoted an entire text to this soup in *La Vie matérielle* (1987): she sees it as the dish of the solitary woman, both her servitude (staying at home) and her freedom. It is the quintessential Duras dish, made from almost nothing.
Water, leeks, salt: a soup of utter poverty that slowly becomes sweet and deep. You can eat it as is, or crack an egg into it, or add a drizzle of oil. It is less a recipe than a presence in the house.
Leek soup is almost nothing. Water, leeks, coarse salt. You leave it on the fire and it waits for you, while you write or do nothing. It is the soup of solitary women, I know, I wrote it. They think it locks us in the kitchen, but in the end it sets us free.
- •Leeks — one bunch (sole base, mild flavor)
- •Water — enough to cover (broth)
- •Coarse salt — a pinch (seasoning)
- •Butter or oil — a knob, to taste (richness, optional)
Leek Soup
Water, leeks, salt: a soup of utter poverty that slowly becomes sweet and deep. You can eat it as is, or crack an egg into it, or add a drizzle of oil. It is less a recipe than a presence in the house.
Why this dish? Duras devoted an entire text to this soup in *La Vie matérielle* (1987): she sees it as the dish of the solitary woman, both her servitude (staying at home) and her freedom. It is the quintessential Duras dish, made from almost nothing.
Leek soup is almost nothing. Water, leeks, coarse salt. You leave it on the fire and it waits for you, while you write or do nothing. It is the soup of solitary women, I know, I wrote it. They think it locks us in the kitchen, but in the end it sets us free.
Ingredients (period version)
- Leeks — one bunch (sole base, mild flavor)
- Water — enough to cover (broth)
- Coarse salt — a pinch (seasoning)
- Butter or oil — a knob, to taste (richness, optional)
Ingredients
- Leeks — 4 large leeks (sole base)
- Water — 1.2 liters (broth)
- Coarse salt — 1 teaspoon (seasoning)
- Butter — 20 g (richness, optional)
- Pepper — 1 turn of the mill (light kick)
Method
- Split the leeks lengthwise and rinse them thoroughly under cold water (dirt hides between the leaves).
- Slice the white and tender green parts into rounds about 1 cm thick.
- Put the leeks in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and salt.
- Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 30 to 40 minutes: the leeks should melt.
- Off the heat, add a knob of butter, pepper, and taste. Serve as is, or blend for a velvety soup.
How it was made : In Duras's time, this was the poor man's potage by definition: a cheap vegetable, water, salt. It was left to simmer for hours and stale bread was dipped in to make it more filling.
The contemporary twist : Poach an egg directly in the soup at the end of cooking: the runny yolk turns this poverty dish into chef-level comfort.
Sources : Marguerite Duras, *La Vie matérielle*, P.O.L, 1987 (text « La soupe aux poireaux »)
Marguerite Duras · Charactorium
