Reviewed: Jul. 27, 2009

In looking over the reviews, I found the majority were based on how the reviewer changed the recipe, not on the recipe itself. As written, this is an average soup in my opinion, worthy of three stars - it lacks flavor in a big way. Having said that, I added garlic to the mushrooms and leeks, and threw in a handful of fresh parsley, chives and thyme. Rather than the condensed beef broth and water I used equal amounts of beef and chicken broth. Hubby liked this better than I did which surprised me since he typically likes heartier soups, which this is not. He suggested this might be even better with some chopped green onion to serve and I agree. The embellishments of garlic and fresh herbs upped this 3-star recipe to four stars but was still rather nondescript. We enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I'll make it again.

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naples34102

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Living In: Mequon, Wisconsin, USA

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Reviewed: May 4, 2009

Yum! I used marsala wine because that's what I had. I also added a few cloves of minced garlic and doubled the mushrooms. Next time I'll reduce the butter and olive oil by half, but other than that it was excellent!

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Annette

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2009

This was a tasty soup. Very easy to prepare. I would have given it 5 stars, but I had to add salt, garlic and some red hot pepper flakes. I also substitued the 3 3/4 cups of water for 2 cups of chicken stock. The beef/chicken stock flavor was nice. I added about a 1/2 tablespoon of chopped garlic to the leeks and mushrooms while they were cooking. I also added salt to taste and the red pepper to taste. I also used 2 whole leeks and more pasta. I will make this again. Thank you for this simple and elegant soup.

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cxebabe

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Reviewed: Mar. 4, 2009

This was very good, yet simple. I made it exactly to recipe and it came out well. I'd make this again.

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Snugsmom

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 28, 2008

The flavor and look of this soup is incredible! I adore leeks and mushrooms and this is one of the best. I did read several other reviews saying the original recipe as written was more of a consomme type soup, and I needed something hearty to hold me through a long workday. So I made it thicker: I used 4 whole leeks including greens, and about 12oz of mushrooms (with an extra couple T olive oil to sautee them with.) I added 2 cloves of garlic, and instead of adding any water at all I simply used about 8 cups of broth (3 beef and 5 chicken.) I used a full cup of orzo, and at the very end on a whim I threw in a can of black eyed peas I had in the cupboard. The result was the same delightful flavor but a VERY hearty, luscious soup that easiy serves as a main dish. I have been taking it to work for lunch and it holds me all day while I'm on my feet running! Absolutely love it.

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sonnet

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Dec. 10, 2008

This is one of the only soups I could find with leek, that wasn't a potato soup. I made this for my wife last night and we loved it. I used both the whites and greens of the leeks, and I used baby portabellas. I added a pinch of kosher salt while sauteing and did not add the orzo. (we are on a no-carb diet at the moment. It was delicious, even without the orzo.

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BrianB

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Reviewed: May 5, 2008

used marsala instead of sherry and veg broth... yum yum............and a lot more mushrooms.............

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JENAVEE

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Reviewed: Apr. 19, 2008

FANTASTIC!!!!!! This was so simple and yet turned out so very tasty. We ate the first pot of soup for dinner and I made a second pot immediately to share!

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GSRapunzel

Home Town: Mint Hill, North Carolina, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 25, 2008

This is a new family favorite. I hadn't used sherry in cooking until trying this recipe. Now I am looking for more recipes with sherry as I really liked the flavor in this soup. We are trying to add soups to our diet as part of meals and this is a great soup to go with many different meals.

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Jessi

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Reviewed: Mar. 7, 2008

This was delicious! I had to use kale instead of leeks because that's what I had and it was great. Then towards the end of the pot, I extended it by adding an undrained can of crispy white & yellow corn.

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CARON65

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Reviewed: Feb. 19, 2008

This recipe is delicious. I had to make slight modifications based on what I had on hand (canned mushrooms, 1 can 14 oz. vegetable broth, 1 can 14 oz. beef broth, 3 ounces of water and 2 cubes beef bouillon, and farfalle pasta in place of orzo, and "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" (the kind with 5 calories per tablespoon, which makes it even less fatty). The flavor is rich and almost sophisticated. In my quest to eat healthier, this is going to be a new favorite, something I prepare again and again.

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CURTISLEE

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Valley, Nebraska, USA

Living In: Omaha, Nebraska, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2008

This is a really great soup! I used white wine instead of dry sherry and vegetable bouillon cubes instead of condensed beef broth. My mom loved it and said it reminded her of onion soup.

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jL

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Living In: Burlington, Vermont, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 17, 2007

This aws about as bland as bland can get. Couldn't even taste the leeks. I ended up adding a can of petite diced tomatoes and some garlic to add a little flavor. Also, added some chopped spinach. In the end it turned out a flavorful recipe but at that point it wasn't the soup I set out to make. To be fair if you like a mild consume you may like this recipe. It just didn't work for us.

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MATTSBELLY

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Sep. 23, 2007

This soup was okay, had to add spices to give it so flavor. Is a good base soup, but needs some work!

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jerb4

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Reviewed: Jan. 15, 2007

Ruth - an amazing recipe. I only had an hour to prepare and was done in plenty of time! Amazing for a home-made soup! I did change a few things - used 8 oz. sliced and broken portobello mushrooms, 1/2 c. good shiraz instead of sherry, 3 cans of Chicken instead of Beef broth, 2 cloves garlic and added a handful of fresh baby spinach just before serving. Fantastic! And the leftovers were great too - was worried about the spinach, but it was still yummy! Thanks!

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BDA Mama

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Reviewed: Jan. 13, 2007

My son begs me to make this. I also use wine instead of the sherry. Sometimes I omit the orzo and throw on a slice of swiss cheese, broil and serve with homemade croutons. Mmmmm This is a great prelude to grilled steaks.

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betsyjane

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Reviewed: Jan. 10, 2007

Great light soup if you make a few changes...I cut back on the olive oil, left out the orzo and added some rosemary. Serve this with a London Broil steak and some mixed green and yellow beans and you have a gorgeous and healthy meal! Thanks for the recipe!

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CHEESECAKEMAKER

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Clarkston, Michigan, USA

Living In: Sterling Heights, Michigan, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 6, 2006

This is excellent! A light flavored soup brimming with hearty flavors. I added a minced garlic clove plus a bunch of fresh thyme leaves and I used cremini mushrooms and a bit less fat than it calls for.

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MAVILU

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Upland, California, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 24, 2006

This was really good, but I did make some changes. I was looking for something with a bit of an asian flavour, so I added about a tsp of sesame oil, some garlic powder and a tiny pinch of chinese 5 spice powder. It was really tasty. I also didn't have sherry but used dry white wine. I think next time I'll do the same and maybe add some little asian meatballs for an even heartier meal. Remember to wash the leeks really really well.

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KRISMCDOUGALL

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Reviewed: Jul. 14, 2006

I thought that this soup was pretty good, although quite a bit bland. I spiced this up by adding pinto beans and I also added buttermilk ranch seasoning (not the actual dressing) and my husband loved it. Goes great with Baby Bella Mushrooms.

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