Leek and Potato Soup

By á-643

Ingredients

• 3 leeks
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 6 to 8 cups of chicken broth or bouillon
• 3 large potatoes
• 3 stalks celery
• 2 large carrots
• 1 cup table or whipping cream (optional)

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 70mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Trim root end of leeks and cut in half lengthwise. Leaving about 1 inch of pale green, cut off tough parts of leaves and discard. Separate remaining pale green and white leaves and wash under cold running water. Then slide leeks into 1/2-inch pieces. Coarsely chop onion.

2. Melt butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Stir in the leeks and onion. Sauté, uncovered and stirring often until softened, about 10 minutes. Add 4 cups of broth. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and coarsely chop. You should have about 4 cups. Add to broth. Coarsely chop celery and carrots and add. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

3. Then purée vegetables in 2 to 3 batches in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return to saucepan. Stir in more broth, 1 cup at a time, until soup is as thin as you like. Taste when hot and pepper and salt, if needed. Soup's flavor improves with overnight refrigeration and it freezes well. Add cream just before serving.