Potato & Leek Soup
Made for St. Patrick's Day 2023.
This is a typical Irish soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tbls. unsalted butter
- 3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 7 c. chicken
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 t. salt
- ¼ t. coarse black pepper
- 1 c. heavy cream
- chives, finely chopped, for serving
- additional pinch of thyme, optional for serving
Instructions
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted (about 10 minutes). Adjust the heat as necessary so as not to brown.
Add the potatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. Or, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches. If using a standard blender to purée the soup, be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dishtowel or sheet of paper towel to allow the heat to escape. Pour blended soup into a clean pot.
Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it's too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh chives and additional thyme for even more flavor, if desired.
NOTE: How To Clean & Prep Leaks:
Remove Inedible Parts of the Leek: If your leek has loose, slimy or browned layers on the outside, peel them down toward the root end as you would a scallion. Cut off the root and the dark green tops.
Cut Leeks: Before you clean the leek, it is important to cut it first. That way you can wash the inner layers of the leek which can hide dirt and sand. To do so slice them lengthwise first.
Dice Leeks: For smaller dice, you can cut them lengthwise twice before cutting them crosswise. Next cut them crosswise for “diced” leeks.
Wash Leeks: After the leeks are cut, place them in a bowl of cold tap water. They will float! Use your hands to break the layers apart. Swish them around with your hands thoroughly so that any sand or dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Transfer to a colander, rinse and pat dry before using.
How Many Cups Does One Leek Yield? Leeks vary by size and length. A typical grocery store leek will yield about 2 cups of prepared, diced clean leeks. A thinner or shorter leek may only yield one cup of cut leeks.