Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  4        tablespoons  butter
  2               cups  chopped yellow onions
  4                     leeks-white only
                        cleaned and thinly sliced
     1/2           cup  chopped shallots
  4                     garlic cloves- -- peeled/minced, up
                        -- to 6
  4               cups  chicken stock
  1           teaspoon  dried thyme
  1                     bay leaf
                        salt and pepper to taste
  1                cup  heavy cream
  3                     scallions -- trimmed cleaned
                        diagonally sliced
                        croutons -- for garnish
                        snipped chives -- for garnish

Preparation:

Melt butter in a pot. Add onions, leeks, shallots and garlic and cook covered for about 25 minutes-until tender. Add stock, thyme and bay leaf and season to taste with s and p. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes. Strain soup and transfer the solids to a food processor and puree. Return puree to the pot. For a party, I prepare soup to this point and then it can sit until you are almost ready to serve (I don't know-30 minutes?) Over medium heat, whisk in heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add scallions and simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with croutons and chives. This soup is wonderfully delicate and I serve it frequently in the summer with fish and a lightly steamed veggie. Silver Palate

Nutritional Information:

378 Calories (kcal); 34g Total Fat; (81% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 113mg Cholesterol; 2293mg Sodium