Winter Leek and Potato Soup

By á-1244

My only alterations were that I used 2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, added 1 sliced celery stalk and added a large bay leaf. I also substituted the garlic powder with 4 garlic cloves that I minced and sautéed with the leeks and onions. I used 6 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and omitted the parsley. I offered crumbled cooked bacon, fresh snipped chives and prepared garlic-Parmesan croutons as options for diners to top their soup serving with. Next time, I will use individual sized shepherd loaves as serving bowls and make homemade garlic-Parmesan croutons out of the scooped bread from the shepherd loaves. Tips: Yukon Gold potatoes won't get mushy like russet potatoes will when boiling them. Use russet potatoes if you want a thick soup and mash them when they are tender. Rinse the leeks in a bowl of cold water so to remove any sand, remove the leeks and wring dry in towels. Keep the cubed potatoes in a bowl of cold water till needed. Always turn off the heat before stirring in the cheese so that the cheese won't separate.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, or more if needed
• 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 65mins
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Cook and stir leeks and onion until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir potatoes and chicken broth into onion mixture; simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Pour half-and-half into potato soup and continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more.

Stir Cheddar cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper into soup until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.