Hearty Potato-Leek Soup

This Irish girl loves potatoes. But, sadly, my half-Irish husband does not. So I've made it my life goal to get him to love potatoes as much as I do. 

This soup was a good start (as was this sweet potato soup). Made with hearty red potatoes, the base of this soup is simple: leeks, onions, and garlic. It's only seasoned with a bay leaf, salt, and pepper. And it's amazing how much flavor was packed in each spoonful. Simple really is the best, when executed correctly.

This recipe was inspired by a similar recipe in Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, but I used what I had on-hand and tweaked as necessary. Feel free to make this soup with all leeks vs. leeks + onions, but I actually enjoyed the textures and flavors the two added to this recipe. 

Hearty Potato-Leek Soup

Yields: 4 servings

-2 tablespoons unsalted butter + 2 tablespoons olive oil (or, use all olive oil to make this recipe vegan)

-2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (save the darker parts for stock!)

-1 medium yellow onion, diced

-1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

-1 clove garlic, minced

-3 cups low sodium vegetable broth (+ more as needed)*

-1 lb. red potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

-1 bay leaf

-Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.) Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and onions and cook until tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle flour over leeks and onions, stir to coat, and cook until flour dissolves, about 2 minutes.

2.) Increase heat to high and, stirring constantly, gradually add broth. Add potatoes and bay leaf, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

3.) Remove pot from heat and let stand until potatoes are completely tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper as needed.

*Depending on how thick you like your soup, feel free to add more broth.

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Hearty, flavorful, and warm - three things I need to help me get through the rest of this bitter cold winter. Thank god we have leftovers of this in the freezer - it will come in handy over these next few weeks!

Are you a fan of potatoes? I love them mashed, roasted, baked...you name it, I will eat it.

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