Potato Leek Soup

By 4brennans

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 7 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth (best quality such as Swanson)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, plus more for garnish if desired
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Chives, finely chopped (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so as not to brown.
Add the potatoes, stock, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches; see note.) Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it's too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.