Ingredients For the soup:

3 tablespoons Kerrygold

Salted Butter

1 ½ cups sliced leeks

1 leek, rinsed well

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups celery root, peeled and diced

1 cup heavy cream

3 cups water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup Kerrygold

Aged Cheddar Cheese

For the Crispy Shallots:

3 medium size shallots, sliced into rings

¼ cup all purpose flour

1 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed

Salt and pepper

For the Herby Garlic Croutons:

1 loaf rustic sourdough bread, torn into crouton-size pieces

3 tablespoons melted

Salted Butter

2 cloves garlic, minced finely

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme, or Herbs de Provence

½ cup Kerrygold

Aged Cheddar Cheese

,grated

Instructions 

  1. To a large pot, or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the butter, and sliced leeks. Stir to coat the leeks in the melted Kerrygold Salted butter, and cook for 5 minutes until the leeks have softened.  
  2. Add the minced garlic to the pot, along with the potatoes, and celery root. Season with a teaspoon of kosher salt and black pepper, then stir to combine. 
  3. Add the heavy cream, and water to the pot, stir well, and cook over medium heat until the soup boils. Once the chowder has reached a boil, turn the heat down to low, and cover the pot with the lid. Cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  4. Meanwhile, make the croutons. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, minced garlic, dried oregano, and dried thyme. Whisk to form a paste. Toss in the torn sourdough, then mix to coat the bread into the herbed butter mixture.  
  5. Pour the croutons out onto a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake the croutons for 4 minutes. Then remove the pan from the oven, and sprinkle the grated Aged Cheddar cheese on top, and return the pan to the oven for another 4-5 minutes until the cheese crisps up. Set aside. 
  6. Next, make the crispy shallots. Fill a small frying pan with 1 cup of the grapeseed oil, and heat over medium high heat.  Place the sliced shallots in a bowl, and separate the layers so that they are rings. Pour the flour on top, along with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Toss the shallots in the flour. The oil should be about 325 degrees F. Carefully place the coated shallots into the hot oil in batches to fry them until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Use a spider tool to remove the shallots, and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain off excess oil. 
  7. Once the potatoes and the celery root have softened, use an immersion blender to blend the chowder, leaving some larger pieces of potato and celery root. Add the grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted. 
  8. Serve the soup, and top each bowl with crispy shallots, herby croutons, and extra black pepper. 

Recipe by Lion’s Bread.