Jessica’s California Reuben and potato leek soup is the perfect fall combo

For our soup and sandwich episode, Jessica wanted to find a good soup to go with her favorite sandwich, the Reuben.

Potato leek soup is the winner, and to go with it, a lighter sandwich: The California Reuben, which uses turkey instead of corned beef.

The soup is silky and creamy without even using much cream. It’s the perfect fall combo.

This segment aired on California Cooking with Jessica Holmes Episode 111.

California Reuben and Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients

For soup:

• 8 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• Clove of garlic
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 1/2 boxes of chicken or vegetable stock
• Bay leaf
• Few sprigs of thyme
• Chopped chives
• Splash of heavy whipping cream
• White carrots (optional)

For sandwich:

• Deli sliced turkey
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• Swiss cheese
• Dark rye
• Drained sauerkraut
• 1 tablespoon of butter

Instructions

1. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a Dutch oven and brown.
2. Add a drizzle of olive oil, leeks, salt and pepper.
3. Cook the leeks until they are soft.
4. Add a clove of garlic and potatoes, a fat pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of butter and another drizzle of olive oil.
5. Let the potatoes cook for a minute or two.
6. Add stock, bay leaf, thyme and cover.
7. Cook until potatoes are soft, about 12 to 15 minutes.
8. While the soup is cooking, make your sandwich:
9. Whisk together the mayonnaise and ketchup to create a Russian dressing.
10. Add cheese on both sides of the bread.
11. Add turkey, sauerkraut and dressing to one side of sandwich.
12. Grill the sandwich with butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a non-stick skillet.
13. Take the bay leaf out of soup and blend with an immersion blender.
14. Add a splash of heavy cream and garnish with chopped chives and pepper.
15. Serve the bowl of soup with the sandwich and a side of Russian dressing!
16. Enjoy!