Potato Leek Soup

When I want to make soup, I usually open the fridge and pantry and try to make a recipe from things that I have on hand. This week my pickings were pretty slim and last night I was wondering do I even have anything to make soup for #soupsunday? Then I remembered I had a big ol' leek in the fridge and a few potatoes so potato leek soup it is! 

The beauty of this soup is that it has 8 ingredients - salt, pepper, water, olive oil, butter (which is optional, but delicious), white wine, and of course potatoes and leeks. I know you're thinking how can such simple ingredients make a really rich and creamy soup with no cream added? The key is to allow the leeks to slowly cook down and practically melt away in the olive oil. They become sweet and are the backbone of flavor to this soup so you want to make sure not to rush the process. After the leeks cook down, wine is added and slowly reduces and that adds another layer of flavor. Potatoes and water are then added to the pot and everything gently simmers until the potatoes are fall-apart tender. The soup then gets blended until smooth and that's it. 

Velvety, rich, creamy, and simply satisfying that's what this soup is all about. 

Potato Leek Soup 

2 medium leeks

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter (or use an additional tablespoon of olive oil if you don't want to use butter)

Salt 

1/3 cup dry or semi-dry white wine*

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper 

900 grams/2 lbs about 3 large potatoes - In the US  use Yukon gold

3 cups of water 

To prepare the leeks cut off the root end and the dark green top and peel off the first layer and discard or you can save it all to make a scrap vegetable stock. Working with just the white and light green part of the leek, slice the leek in half lengthwise and then place the leek flat on your board and thinly slice into half-moons. Place the sliced leeks into a large bowl of water and using your fingers swish them around to allow any sand and grit that is trapped between the layers to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Using a slotted spoon or your hands skim the leeks out of the water and place on a kitchen towel to dry slightly before proceeding with the recipe. 

In a pot set over a medium-low flame, add the oil and butter and heat until the butter is melted. Add the cleaned leeks along with a good pinch of salt and allow the leeks to cook for 10-15 minutes stirring every few minutes until they have reduced in size and are soft and translucent. Don't rush the process if you see that they are getting dark around the edges lower the heat and let them gently cook. 

While the leeks are cooking prepare the potatoes, peel them and cut into about 1-inch chunks don't worry about the precision of your cut, but you do want them all relatively the same size so they cook at the same rate. Set the potatoes aside. 

Once the leeks have cooked down add the white wine and scrape anything that is stuck to the bottom of the and pot allow the wine to reduce until almost completely evaporated. Add the black pepper, potatoes, water, and another pinch of salt. Raise the heat, bring to a boil and then reduce the flame to low, cover the pot and allow the soup to cook until the potatoes are really tender about 15-20 minutes. 

Using an immersion blender or working in batches in a stand blender, blend the soup until velvety smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. If the soup is too thick add more water 1/4 cup at a time until you are happy with the texture.

This soup is delicious as is or even more decadent with a swirl of heavy cream. 

I like to garnish the soup with a sprinkling of chopped chives to compliment the leek flavor of the soup and a tiny pinch of cracked black pepper to balance the richness.  

Yield: 4 servings 

This soup will last about a week in the fridge and it freezes beautifully. Just allow it to cool completely and store in an air-tight container. 

*White wine - there is 1/3 of a cup in the recipe - please use a wine that you would drink, a wine that you enjoy because why would you add something that doesn't taste good to your soup? If you don't have any wine on hand you can use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or 2 tsp white wine vinegar and 1/4 cup of water.