Leek and Potato Soup

This is my favourite soup. It's good for rainy weeks like these ones, when you want to warm up in the dampness.

I find it's good to know how to wash leeks because they hold a surprising amount of mud between the leaves. I usually cut them lengthwise about an inch (a couple cm) from the roots right down to the dark green ends, so that you can get right in to the individual leaves, flaying them out like a fan under the water.

The very best time we made this soup was with homemade chicken stock. You can easily make your own by boiling the crap out of leftover chicken bones for 4 hours submerged in well-salted and peppered water with 2 peeled carrots cut in thirds, 2 onions halved, a bay leaf and maybe a couple celery stalks)

- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise (for washing), thinly sliced
- 2-3 garlic cloves sliced thinly
- 2-3 potatoes (about 18 ounces total), diced (personally, I like to leave the peels on after a good scrub a dub dub)
- 2 stalks of celery thinly sliced
- Chicken stock (see note above) or canned low-salt broth (I usually do about half stock half water)
- Salt and pepper

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; stir to coat with butter. Cover saucepan; cook until leeks are tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes.

Add potatoes and celery. Cover and cook until potatoes begin to soften but do not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add stock to just cover veggies. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender (you might have to add some water), about 25-30 minutes.

Use a potato masher to partially puree soup. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Bring soup to simmer. Ladle into bowls.


Leek flower photo from Wiki