- Potato Leek Soup garnished with parsley and accompanied by homemade naan.
The last day at Tacoma’s Broadway Farmers Market left me with two large bouquets, four impressive and lovely leeks, and a formidable celery, deep green and fragrant. Knowing there were potatoes at home, leeks in my bag, and having just discovered Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking on a bookshelf (how long has it been there…years?), I thought of Potato Leek Soup. Autumn’s sun warmed days rife with oranges, reds, and yellows and the nights cloaked in a deep cool inspire warm foods such as soup, roasted vegetables, and roasted meats as well as wonderful meals with friends, family, loved ones.
Suffice to say, I looked at many potato leek soup recipes both online and in cookbooks. Some wanted the vegetables sautéed and some required other vegetables or meat. Others had eight or nine ingredients. It all seemed too much. Then, there was my first attempt, years ago at making potato leek soup. A tasteless, unremarkable mess that made it unlikely I would make it again. Yet, the Mastering recipe was so simple with only five ingredients: potatoes, leeks, water, salt, and cream, butter, or crème fraiche (thank you, b). Or, four if you leave out the fatty, creamy wonderfulness, but who would do that?
I chose Child’s Mastering recipe for a variety of reasons. One being my challenge to myself to create a solid foundation in my cooking skills. I’ve cooked for years, really most of my life, but only recently decided to assert more discipline, follow recipes, take notes, taste wine, and try new, more complicated food and more simple food. Following the recipes, though, was the most important item. Earlier this year, I made brioche and subsequent dishes, and in the last month, croissants. Both amounting to day long adventures with flour and butter. This time, simplicity won. This recipe can be used as a base for a variety of other soups, both cold and hot, and requires few ingredients and little time.
Ingredients
3-4 cups leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced up to the light green
3-4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced (red or yukon gold or fingerlings)
2 quarts water
2-3 tsp salt (start with two – the original recipe calls for a Tbs, but that was a wee too salty)
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, not violent, and simmer partially covered for 40-50 minutes. After said time, remove from heat and let cool. When it’s cooled sufficiently, blend. Your blending options are: blend 2-3 cups at a time in a blender or food processor to create an even and smooth texture, mash in the pot with a potato masher, or mash with a fork in the pot. (I chose the potato masher and really liked the varied texture.) Return to heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Taste and add any salt, if necessary, and, possibly, a half teaspoon of white peppercorns, crushed to a powder. Now, add 4-6 tablespoons of whipping cream or crème fraiche, stirring in one spoonful at a time. To serve, dish into bowls or a tureen and dress with finely chopped parsley or dill.
- Here you can see the soup’s warm, golden color contrasted with the bright green parsley.
It was delicious reheated with grated cheddar cheese on top, and would freeze well. It, also, keeps in the refrigerator for several days. When reheating from frozen, let thaw, reheat on stove top or in the microwave, and, depending on the amount of soup, add a teaspoon or tablespoon of butter or cream. After mastering the recipe, this can be whipped together by combining equal amounts potatoes and leeks covered with an inch or so of water, salt added to taste, and simmered for 40-50 minutes.
Strict vegetarians and vegans can simply leave out the butter or cream and possibly substitute with a pseudo sour cream. It is absolutely delicious without cream and butter, which only serves to make the soup richer. I wouldn’t recommend a margarine or milk alternative as the flavors tend to be artificial or too sweet and thus remove the savory aspect of this soup.
Enjoy!