How to Cook a la Bonne Femme Simple, Honest French Home Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (for sautéing the vegetables)
• 2 medium Leek (yellow part only, cleaned and thinly sliced)
• 2 medium Carrot (cut into fan‑shaped thin slices (pa‑cut))
• 2 medium Potato (Yukon Gold, diced into ½‑inch cubes)
• 150 grams Green Beans (trimmed and cut into 1‑inch pieces)
• ½ cup White Wine (dry white wine, adds depth)
• 4 cups Vegetable Stock (low‑sodium, homemade or store‑bought)
• 2 cups Water (to reach desired volume)
• 1 leaf Bay Leaf (whole, added for aroma)
• 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme (leaves stripped)
• to taste Salt (kosher or sea salt)
• to taste Black Pepper (freshly ground)
• ¼ cup Heavy Cream (optional, for creamy version)
• 1 teaspoon Unsalted Butter (added at the end with cream)
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley (chopped, garnish)
• 2 slices Smoked Bacon (crispy, added as garnish)
• ½ cup Croutons (store‑bought or homemade, garnish)

Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables

   Rinse all vegetables under cold water. Trim the outer leaves of the leeks and slice the yellow part thinly. Cut carrots into fan‑shaped thin slices. Dice potatoes into uniform ½‑inch cubes (use a fry cutter if desired). Trim green beans and cut into 1‑inch pieces. Cut beans (if using other beans) into small diagonal pieces.

   Time: PT15M

2. Sweat leeks and carrots

   Place the stock pot over medium heat, add 2 tbsp butter and let it melt. Add the sliced leeks and fan‑shaped carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes until the leeks become translucent and the carrots start to soften.

   Time: PT5M

3. Add potatoes

   Drain any water from the rinsed potatoes and add the diced potatoes to the pot. Stir for about 1 minute to coat them with butter.

   Time: PT1M

4. Deglaze and add liquids

   Pour in ½ cup dry white wine, stirring to deglaze the pot. Add 4 cups vegetable stock and 2 cups water. Drop in the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Increase heat to bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

   Time: PT5M

5. Simmer base vegetables

   Cover the pot with a lid and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes. This allows the potatoes, leeks and carrots to become tender and infuse the broth.

   Time: PT10M

6. Add green beans and finish simmering

   Uncover the pot, add the green beans (and any other beans). Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover partially, and cook for an additional 20 minutes until all vegetables are fork‑tender.

   Time: PT20M

7. Season and finish (optional cream)

   Taste the broth and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. For a creamy version, stir in ¼ cup heavy cream and 1 tsp butter, then heat gently for 3–5 minutes without boiling.

   Time: PT5M

8. Garnish and serve

   Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle chopped parsley over each serving. If desired, top with crisped smoked bacon pieces and a handful of croutons. Serve hot.

   Time: PT2M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

260

Protein

6 g

Carbohydrates

30 g

Fat

12 g

Fiber

4 g