I love soup, all year round (in the same way that I love ice cream, no matter the weather!)  I especially crave a big pot of homemade soup on a cold November Sunday afternoon!   This is a favorite of mine while eating out, so I thought I would try and make it at home.  It came out amazing, you should give it a go.  It looks more like pea soup than potato leek but it tastes smooth, oniony and the potatoes add a heartiness.  Serve leftovers with a sandwich for a warm lunch on a cold winter’s day!

Equipment

Immersion blender or regular blender if you want a smooth soup

Ingredients

2 quarts chicken stock, and a bit (homemade or I like unsalted Kitchen Basics and would use 2 large boxes and one small)

3 tbsps unsalted butter

A drizzle of Canola oil to prevent the butter burning

4 large leeks cleaned and diced

2 large Spanish onions

1 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic diced

1 tsp salt (and a bit more depending on your taste)

1/2 tsp white black pepper

4 raw Idaho potatoes peeled and diced

1/2 cup heavy cream

Clean and dice the leeks, peel and slice the onion and potatoes, cutting them into medium dice like for mashed potatoes, and chop the garlic cloves.

Tip:  Leeks have loads of dirt buried inside of them, so slice down the longwise twice, so you have 4 thinner sections and can really clean the inside.  Run them under cold water to make sure you get all the grit out from the inside of the leeks and they are cleaned.

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or stockpot with a drizzle of oil. Add in the diced leeks, onions, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper and saute until the vegetables are just getting tender, about 10-15 minutes.

While the onions and leeks are heating, warm up the broth in a pot.  After the vegetables are tender, then add the broth to the onions and leeks and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Add the potatoes and return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer again.  If you look like you need a bit more stock, this is when I added the extra small 8 oz. box.   Continue to cook for 20-25 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender.

Tip:  Take one potato out of the soup and slowly push a fork through the middle, if it falls apart without much coaxing then they are “tender”.

Remove the bay leaves and add in the heavy cream.  Use an immersion blender to cream the soup, or pour into a regular blender.   Taste for spice and add more salt if needed.

Serve with caramelized onions or fried onions on top for some texture (at a favorite steak restaurant I love, they add crunchy onions and a drizzle of aged balsamic on top, that tastes fantastic!) Serve with a nice loaf of warm crusty bread and you’ve made a hearty meal.