Potato Leek Soup

Looking to make a soup that's good for you and warms you up on a cold day? Then this recipe is for you. Leeks are a cousin to the onion and are delicious. Think of it this way, the onion is the loud party guest who wears the lamp shade on their head by the end of the party. The leek is the quiet cousin, that sits in the corner enjoying their drink, taking it all in. You know they are there but they're not in your face.

Leeks add beneficial fiber and bulk along with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant polyphenols. By pureeing the potatoes, it allows this soup to have a creamy consistency without adding heavy cream.

Let's get cooking, you'll need:

4 large leeks

3 potatoes (peeled and diced)

4 cups chicken stock

2 cloves of garlic - minced

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp majoram

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 parsley flakes

1 tsp McCormick Cajun Seasoning

Leeks appear to be a big over grown green onion and you're not far off. Leeks are in the family of onions but classified as a cultivar of Allium ampeloprasum, the broadleaf wild leek. Translation: big mild onion that you can only eat the white part, not the dark green top. Leeks are wrapped tightly and dirt gets between their layers.

Put your leeks on the cutting board and cut below the dark green leaves. Don't throw away the dark green tops, freeze them and use them when you make vegetable stock. Cut the white part of the leeks into thin discs and put them in a bowl of cold water to get rid of all the dirt. Separate the layers in the water and allow it soak for 10 minutes.

Drain the water and put the leeks aside.

In a large soup pot melt the butter, add the garlic and leeks. Cook for 10 minutes or until the leeks are tender but not brown. If you notice the leeks are mature and big, you may have to add a little water to allow them to cook until tender.

After 10 minutes add the chicken stock, seasonings and potatoes. Allow the soup to cook covered for 45 minutes on a low simmer. The potatoes should be soft and you want to remove half of them to puree. Return the pureed potatoes back to the pot and taste to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed.

Variation to recipe

We spoke about recipes being a guide and you can do whatever you want in your kitchen, it's all good! You can add 2 cups of heavy cream to the finished pureed soup along with 2 oz. of brandy. This is a rich additional to this soup and I would float a garlic toast point in the soup before serving.

Enjoy and leave me your comments.

*Note: I fried a few potato rounds to garnish the soup - YUMMY.