I have eaten Potato Leek Soup before, but it was a store bought soup mix. I have never actually cooked with leeks, so I was excited to see them in my Bountiful Baskets this week while most people were turning up their noses at them. Plus, we also got gold potatoes, so Potato Leek Soup had to be made! My husband was really excited too, and he really enjoyed the soup. It also worked out that Saturday was an overcast, rainy, cooler day, great soup weather. And, it was coupled perfectly with the baguettes I had gotten from my Sunizona Family Farms FarmBox. Can you tell how excited I am about how well this meal came together?!?!
Potato Leek Soup
Based on recipes here and here
What you need:
1/2 cup butter
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped (There is a great video here on how to clean and chop the leeks, thank you Kelly H. for the link!)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (make sure to use gluten-free broth if you need this gluten-free)
2 1/2 lbs potatoes, preferably Yukon gold, diced
2 cups half and half or whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
How to make it:
Melt butter in a large stock pot and add chopped leeks, plus salt and pepper to taste. Cook leeks in the butter until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Do not let leeks brown, brown will give them a burnt taste.
Next, wisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth, leaving no lumps. Pour into the stock pot. Then, add the diced potatoes and half and half. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Stir in the parsley and more salt and pepper, if desired. If you want a smoother soup, remove about half of soup to a blender and puree, then return to the pot. You can also use an immersion blender or hand potato masher to slightly mash some of the potatoes in the soup. Serve hot.
Variations:
Potato Leek Soup with Sausage: While soup is cooking, crumble and brown 1 pound of Italian sausage. Drain excess fat. Stir into finished soup.
Potato Leek Soup with Ham: After soup has finished cooking, add in 2 cups of fully cooked ham (such as Zaycon Foods ham)
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