You can make it classy, although it will always be a French classic. Growing up, many meals centered around these Mediterranian natives. These amazing vegetables in the onion family have a mild taste and mix well with so many other vegetables to create great combinations.
Leeks are a base soup for Frech cuisine or one of the founding ingredients in the Wigle household. Tonight a few wanted a sprinkle of bacon on top, Voila! Bacon! Serve it cold and it is called Vichyssoise, or even fresh herbs like thyme and sometimes I dash a bit of chili sauce or something spicy in it. Fresh chives. The personalized little touches are all wonderful. I just don't think you can go wrong with this.
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large leeks, only the white and light green parts, chopped (about 5 cups)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled/chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
7 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 or 2 pieces of fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
Chives, fresh/chopped for serving
Leeks are dirty, they hide the dirt in between their leaves., so be sure to wash them well. Cut them in half and rinse them well, peeling the layers so you can run water through them.
Directions
Melt the unsalted butter, on medium heat in a large soup pot. I use a cast-iron one. Add the leeks and garlic and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring so the bottom doesn't stick. Adjust the heat if necessary.
Add the potatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
Remove thyme and bay leaves. Puree the soup. It called for a hand-held immersion blender, but I used a Vitamix Blender which worked really well. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Potato leek soup is super easy to make, the only problem would be cleaning those leeks. Here is proof of having to go through them and take out the specs of dirt.
To start the soup, put unslated butter in the pot and melt. Add chopped leeks and the crushed garlic. Cook leeks until soft
When they have achieved the soft and wilted stage, add the chicken broth, and cut up potatoes. At this time, you can toss in the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. You can really start to smell the soup.
Hmmm! Good!
These are small pieces, but, it got even smaller than that. They cooked up quicker that way. There are so many things you can add to your soup to give it more flavor. Experiment! I know I did, but only after I got comfortable with tossing in ingredients that were not in the recipe.
In just about an hour, you can make a delicious soup that you are sure to love. One of my sisters uses buttermilk and heavy cream. She swears by it. Personally, I love a dollop of sour cream on top, one of my girls says bacon. Always the bacon.
Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. I used Yukon Gold potatoes, but, when I have used Russet potatoes, they seem to take longer. I never use red potatoes as they give it a different consistency, one that doesn't puree as well in this recipe.
I love to have a beautiful ending to all my posts, so let me leave a flower for you. The is #alwaysaflower to color my world. And just like that, this post is over. I hope you give the soup a try as it is a fairly simple recipe that ends with delicious results.
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
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As always, the pictures are all mine and the recipe is a version from here I use it for a base and go wild from there. Have fun with it! Tag me if you make it! Have a great day ahead!
