Leek & Potato Soup Recipe
"Homegrown" Leek & Potato Soup! Hearty, creamy and seriously delicious!
If you’re looking for a delicious soup to make this fall, but aren’t ready for pumpkins and butternut squash yet, then this creamy, filling and luscious Leek & Potato Soup is the answer! Many of the ingredients used in this recipe (leeks, potatoes, garlic and herbs) are in season in September. Hope you give it a try! Here’s the recipe (serves 6):
INGREDIENTS:
5 cups leeks, washed, halved & chopped (use white & light green parts only)
2 lbs potatoes, peeled & diced
7 cups vegetable broth
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme (I suggested lemon thyme if possible)
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp lemon juice (optional, but adds a hint of tang and freshness to the soup)
2 tbsp chives, finely chopped (optional, for serving)
HOW TO PROCEED:
1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, over medium heat.
2. Add leeks and garlic, stirring frequently until the leeks sweat and soften (about 10 minutes). Adjust heat to avoid browning.
3. Add potatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover with lid and let ingredients simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are very soft.
4. Take out thyme sprigs and bay leaves, add lemon juice and carefully puree soup with an immersion blender (or regular blender) until smooth.
5. Add heavy cream and adjust for salt & pepper if needed. Garnish with finely chopped chives
6. Serve warm in fall/ winter or chilled in summer.
To grow your own leeks and potatoes, plant them in the garden in early spring and harvest in mid summer. You can also plant a second round in early July and harvest in September. Herbs like thyme, bay laurel and chives make wonderful companion plants (their smell deters pests) and are very easy to grow in pots and containers too.
Pair the soup with Swiss Chard, Apples & Cheese Flatbread and wine or chilled kombucha. Enjoy!
Freshly harvested leeks! They have a sweet, mild onion flavor. There can be a lot of soil hidden between the layers of leaves, so be sure to wash and clean them very throughly.
