Creamy Potato Leek Soup
This weekend we had the Arctic blast from Canada with the coldest weather yet for this winter. Therefore I felt like something warm and soothing. I have always liked potato leek soup and while there are plenty of different recipes out there I haven’t really found a favorite. So I decided to just add ingredients and see how I’ll succeed.
If you are looking for bold flavors, this is definitely not for you, it is very suttle and demure, but oh so delicious! Though I must admit that when I first tasted it I was a bit disappointed, but as it cooled down a bit the flavors really came through.
I used Russet potatoes as that’s what my grocery store had, but Yukon Golds would make an even creamier soup. I happened to have low sodium vegetable broth at home and noticed that I needed to add quite a bit of salt, so the regular broth would probably work better. While this recipe is vegetarian, it can also be made with chicken broth, and on the other hand it can be made vegan by using oil instead of butter and omitting the cream. The caramelized shallots add some extra flavor, but can be left out.
The recipe makes about 6 servings and all you need to serve it is some good quality bread.
INGREDIENTS:
3 medium leeks
3 large potatoes (or about 2 lb smaller ones)
3 tbsp butter
3 cups vegetable stock
4 springs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
2 bay leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
I large shallot (for garnish, optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
STEPS:
Cut the leeks in half lenght wise and discard the hard green parts. Rinse under running water fanning the layers to make sure there is no grit left behind. Pat dry and slice
In a soup pot melt the butter on medium heat and add the leek slices. Let them cook until softened, about 7 mins, but make sure they are not starting to brown.
While the leeks soften, peel the potatoes and cut into about an inch cubes.
Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, thyme and bay leaves and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to boil and reduce heat to slow simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Fish the thyme springs and the bay leaves out of the soup. Then puree the soup using an immersion blender (or in batches in regular blender).
Add the cream if desired, taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
While the soup is boiling peel the shallot and slice it to thin slices. Heat the oil in a skillet and caramelize the shallots to add as garnish. I add some salt and pepper and also use a pinch of sugar to help the caramelization.
Serve with some good fresh bread and enjoy!