Recipe #6: Leek & Potato Soup

Photo and Recipe courtesy of finecooking.com

I know, I know, another soup recipe. But there are just so many out there waiting to be tried! And with this cold weather, which can often cultivate cold and flu symptoms, what better meal to come home to than a warm bowl of soup?

Since our tortellini soup with leeks turned out quite yummy, I decided to try this Leek and Potato soup for dinner last week. I already have a version of a potato soup that calls for bacon, along with milk and cheese, so this one is a lighter version that turned out just as tasty (of course, it a bit of bacon could never go wrong… next time, perhaps). I actually forgot to include the onion, but even without it, it was very nice. Dried herbs work just as well, in case you’re freshly out. And there’s plenty of leftovers to save for another time.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

2 large or 3 medium leeks (root and dark green parts removed), sliced crosswise (to yield 2 cups), washed, and dried

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp. coarse salt; more to taste

1 hearty sprig fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

Pinch cayenne

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

12 oz. Yellow Finn, Yukon Gold, or other medium starch potatoes, peeled and diced (to yield 2 cups)

4 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth

2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

HEAT the olive oil and butter until quite hot in a heavy-based pot. Add the leeks, onions, and salt, and then turn the heat to medium low. Add the thyme and bay leaf. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened and a bit browned, 10 to 15 min. Add the cayenne and garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 min longer.

ADD the potatoes and chicken broth. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 min. Discard the thyme sprig and bay leaf.

TRANSFER 1 cup of the soup to a blender to purée and then return the purée to the pot, or use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your liking. Adjust the seasonings.

LADLE into shallow bowls; garnish with the parsley, crème fraîche (if desired), and pepper.