Potato and Leek Soup

I always enjoyed the pre-made potato leek soup that I could get at the grocery store in England when I studied there for a year. I did not have the cookbook or supplies to do the much cooking on my own but that was one of those warm comfort foods that I remember from that time.


Now, this spring, we tried to plant leeks thinking that doing so would be a good way to make this soup. That did not work. My wife injuring her ankle, a couple of vacation trips later and we had so many weeds there was no chance of ever finding the leek shoots. Even if they did survive. Sadly, they did not.


So, the other day when I was in a neighboring town, I stopped at the local vegetable stand and picked up some groceries. He happened to have a few leeks sitting in a dish and so I bought two. I thought that this would be more than enough for leek soup. Boy was I wrong. We made soup anyway and simply added a few more potatoes.


This was a yummy soup and just the right thing for supper on a cool fall day here on the frozen tundra. Though only one out of three of our boys ate all of his soup tonight. This is because we are all recovering from what the doctor thinks is the H1N1 flu (though this is not official). Appetites are not what they usually are.


Smooth Potato Leek Soup (Potage Parmentier)

For extra smoothness, push through a sieve after it has been pureed in a food processor.
Melt in a soup pot, over low heat:
3 Tablespoons butter
Add and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, about 20 minutes:
8 large leeks (white part only), cleaned thoroughly and chopped (I cut the white parts in half and then diced them)
Stir in:
3 medium or 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (I left the skins on, more nutrition that way).
5 cups chicken stock or water
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Puree until smooth. Season with:
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (we added ours at the table.)
Thin if necessary, with additional:
Stock or water
Reheat gently, then ladle into bowls and serve.

Of course, if you want to have a cream soup and be really fancy, you can always make Vichyssoise. The "classic french" soup was actually invented by French chef Louis Diat around 1910, when he worked at New York's Ritz-Carlton Hotel. During the Second World War, when the french spa town of Vichy became the capital of the collaborationist government, this soup was served in the United States under a variety of names. You can garnish with shipped fresh chives (or dry!).

Thank you to the The Joy of Cooking for the recipe.