How to Make Potato Leek Soup

Don’t forget about my sound machine give-away because this is the last day to enter!

Josh and I love all the soups we’ve met in the UK! One of our favorites is potato leek soup, served with fresh snipped chives and crusty bread. Since it will get cooler for the rest of y’all sometime I’m sure, make sure to keep this recipe handy- you won’t regret it! Plus, the left-overs are even tastier!

Potato Leek Soup

I usually double the recipe because the flavors tend to marry well as left-overs.

1 large or 2 small leeks, about 1 pound
2 bay leaves
20 black peppercorns (I just use normal pepper)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons butter
2 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken stock
1 to 1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream (I use creme fraiche)
2 tablespoons snipped chives

Trim the green portions of the leek and, using 2 of the largest and longest leaves, make a bouquet garni by folding the 2 leaves around the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Tie into a package-shaped bundle with kitchen twine and set aside. {Alternately, tie 2 leek leaves, bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme together in a piece of cheesecloth. As a third alternative, ignore all of this and throw it all in the pot, being prepared to fish it out later!}

Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside. {Leeks are pretty common here, so I just buy clean trimmed leeks and slice them.}

In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is very soft and has rendered most of its fat. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the reserved bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt and white pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful.

Remove the bouquet garni and, working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender. {Alternately, if you own an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot. Again, as a tip, we prefer our soup less smooth. Thus, we only blend 1/3 to 1/2 of it.} Stir in the creme fraiche and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately, with some of the snipped chives sprinkled over the top of each bowl of soup.