Potato and Leek Soup

I have a leek I’ve been courting. Yes, it’s been sitting in my refrigerator for about four days now. When I open the door I admire how perfect it is in color and texture and I’ve been asking myself, “When are you actually going to cook it?” Tonight I decided to step into uncharted waters. Yes, that mysterious world of the leek. I took a whiff of that oniony stalk and decided it must go to into a soup… my very own, first time ever created potato and leek soup! But could I do this picture perfect leek justice?

To start, I researched a bunch of recipes online and chose the ingredients I wanted in my soup. This was a really fun exercise to do. Once I decided on the basics of my recipe, I just went from there.

Here’s my version of potato and leek soup. Mine isn’t the fancy, pureed version you’ll find at a restaurant. It’s more rustic and less creamy in consistency. I did use a cup of heavy cream which you can omit to cut down on fat and this soup will still be super delicious without it. Really.

Ingredients
2 shallots diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or frozen cubes
1 leek sliced into rings
4 large russet potatoes, diced
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup of filtered water
½ cup yellow onion diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Fresh ground pepper
Sea salt to taste

Heat olive oil and butter in a stock pot or Dutch oven. Add leeks, onion, shallots, celery and salt and pepper. Cook until very vegetables are soft. Add garlic, and cook for another minute.
Add vegetable broth, water, parsley and potatoes. Bring mixture to a slow boil and then reduce to simmer. Cook until potatoes are very soft. Use a slotted spoon or pasta spoon with teeth to slightly break up potatoes. Do this until potatoes are in small piece and broth becomes creamier. Add one cup of heavy cream and stir. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

6 servings