Only use white and light green parts of leeks.
Try deglazing bacon pan with a slosh of white wine and adding 1 Tbs bacon grease and 1 Tbs butter to soften vegetables.
Try garnishes, like fresh parsley sprig.
Try either mashing the finished soup in pot to thicken or puree the batch.

This soup is a terrific first course complement to beef, roasted pork, duck, goose, venison, rabbit, wild meat, roasted fowl or lamb dishes. I don’t think it pairs well with most seafood or fish, but who knows. The recipe makes enough for four servings as an entree or six as appetizer. I would recommend doubling the recipe: soups are supposed to feed people, and you can save/freeze leftovers. I found the original recipe in a Cooking Network magazine and played around with it a bit. If you want the soup for a main dish, I would recommend including a salad of greens that lean into the bitter/peppery side: maybe escarole, endive, and romaine along with crunchy, peppery veggies like julienne carrots, cucumbers with radish bits and croutons with a simple vinaigrette. Maybe some toasted Havarti cheese on baguette rounds that first have been brushed with Dijon mustard as a side: food to play against the soup’s richness.

• Use only the white and light green parts of the leeks, remembering to thoroughly rinse any mud from them.
• Two 5” caps are 8 oz. and six medium caps (about 2”) are 6 oz.
• I prefer the Madeira for it’s nutty overtones.
• I doubled the recipe keeping only the 1 C. half-and-half and it was fine.
• If you are doubling the recipe, three 14-1/2 oz. cans of chicken broth works fine.
• Use a center-cut ham steak that has no additional flavorings. I tried pre-cooked diced ham and it was a bit rubbery. Don’t use salt-cured ham; smoked is fine.
• Chop the mushrooms to about ½ inch.
• See Variations with regards to puree.

The soup is great as a puree. Consider making the soup without the puree step; make it as a “rustic” soup: big bits of mushrooms and pieces of leeks. But the broth will need more thickening, which could be handled with a bit of sour cream stirred in at the end and maybe some finely chopped scallions on top as a garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

Experiment with different fresh berries. You can use fresh bananas, but then you have to add about 3 ice cubes. I prefer the frozen bananas, which is a great way to use older bananas that you normally would throw out in a couple of days.

Berries are the best fruit to use; I use blueberries and strawberries when on sale. Whatever the fruit, make sure that it is pitted.

While there is a definite calorie count to this breakfast smoothie, it is virtually fat-free. I find it non-filling, thoroughly satisfying and it covers dairy, carbohydrates and protein. The Kasha has the protein of an egg.

One can use either cherry or grape tomatoes. This dish is meant to be served over cooked rice and served with a side green salad and crusty bread.

Use American cheese slices, not American cheese food slices. Try Cream of Mushroom instead of Cream of Chicken, if you like. Stove Top stuffing mix is good as is. If using brand with flavor packet, include that.

I invented this from items in the pantry. One can mix ’n match optional ingredients. I like using either basil and grape tomatoes, or peas and scallions. Experiment with other ingredients.