Potato Leek Soup

A trip back to Vermont was all I needed to restart the cooking and baking fires. With my folks out of town, I had a big kitchen all to myself with nothing but a cookbook to limit me to what I could make. And even then, I managed to whip up a great soup with just a few ingredients on hand and some quick improvisation.

Potato Leek Soup isn't glamorous - but it fits with my recent theme of simple and elegant foods. With a stop at the store for leeks, really all you need is your pantry for the rest. I happened to have a hand held immersion blender on hand for the final step, which if you make soups regularly, is a worthwhile investment.


The cold weather is thankfully (maybe) headed away. But there are still a few nights left for a homey and hearty soup. And with leeks coming into season in the next few weeks, let this recipe serenade you to the kitchen.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of butter, divided
3 large leeks (white and green parts only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced - clean well
2 large potatoes (about 18 oz), peeled and diced
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
Salt and Pepper
3 1/2 cups of chicken broth (or more, as needed to thin the soup)
1/2 to 3/4 cup whole milk

Directions:
Melt 3 tbs. butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; stir to coat with butter. Cover saucepan; cook until leeks are tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and the remaining butter. Cook until potatoes begin to soften but do not brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Add 3 cups stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 25/30 minutes - longer if you are planning on hand mashing or using a blender to finish the soup.

Puree soup in batches with a hand blender or in a processor until smooth (then return to saucepan). Add 1/2 cup of the milk, and stir in. Thin with additional stock and/or milk if soup is too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Bring back to a simmer and serve immediately.

Enjoy!