One of our favorite ways to mark the changing seasons is by adding soup in the weekly meal rotation! Of all the soups I have made for my family, this is by far their favorite.
I love it because the ingredients are easy to find and inexpensive, it doesn't take long to make, it can easily be made vegan, and it's naturally dairy and grain free.
Leeks seem to be especially easy to find in France. Though I don't remember eating them in the US, my mom reminds me we had them often when I was growing up. Also, multiple friends back in the states have requested recipes because they have them sitting in their fridge and don't know what to do with them! They must be more common than I give them credit for.
We especially love eating this soup with a crusty French baguette, but any yummy hearty bread alongside would be delicious. This soup is a meal all on it's own, but can be used as an appetizer as well.
One of the tricks to making this soup unbelievably tasty is by roasting the leeks and garlic slowly and stirring often. Avoid letting them brown if you can - I made that mistake once and it really changed the flavor of the soup.
The only special equipment required for this recipe is a handheld immersion blender, but a standing blender can easily be used instead. Sometimes we finely puree it, while other times we prefer it a little chunkier!
Potato Leek Soup
Makes 4 hearty servings
Ingredients:
4 leeks, white and green parts separated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lb (500g) potatoes, coarsely chopped
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp Italian seasoning
2 cubes chicken bouillon (sub with vegetable boullion for vegan)
1 TBSP butter (sub with olive oil for vegan)
1 sprig of thyme (optional)
1 sprig of rosemary (optional)
4 cups water
Directions:
Chop while parts of leeks and sauté in butter. Add garlic. Stir often to avoid browning. Add pepper, salt, and Italian seasoning. Continue to sauté and stir until leeks become somewhat translucent and wilt, about 10 minutes.
Add potatoes, chicken bouillon, water, and sprigs of herbs. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
Remove sprigs of herbs. Use a handheld immersion blender and blend to desired consistency (or wait until soup cools and pour into standing blender).
Enjoy with crusty bread!
Serves 4 as a meal or 6 as an appetizer.
Comments