Hearty potatoes, earthy leeks, rich butter, and savory broth combine perfectly in this recipe to offer a lush, warm autumn meal. You’ll be impressed with how simple this soup is to prepare, leaving you plenty of time for carving pumpkins, jumping in piles of leaves, or enjoying an evening fire.
If you haven’t cooked with leeks before, don’t worry. They look like giant green onions, but with a much milder flavor. Wash them well, then thinly slice your leeks from the bottom up. The white part is the most tender and flavorful, and the tougher, dark green tops should be saved for vegetable broth or composted. Let your knife be your guide; when the light green part of the leek suddenly becomes tougher to cut, you’ve used enough.
A word of advice: please use real butter in this recipe. Real butter elevates the flavor of leeks in a way that margarine and vegetable-based fats simply cannot. Trust me. Let’s get started!
Ingredients (Makes 1 large pot; leftovers freeze well!)
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, tender white and light green portions only
5 pounds of yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup real butter
2 quarts chicken broth (or pork stock if you’d like a really rich soup)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Step 1) In a large pot, saute sliced leeks in butter for 5 minutes over low-medium heat, stirring constantly. Leeks may turn a pale golden color, but don’t let them burn.
Step 2) Add potatoes to the pot and cook with stirring for 2 or 3 minutes.
Step 3) Add chicken broth to the pot. If the potatoes aren’t completely covered, add a bit more broth or water so that the potatoes are covered. Bring the pot to a low boil, then reduce heat to low. Allow the potatoes to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until very tender.
Step 4) Remove pot from heat and allow to cool slightly for a few minutes. Then, puree the contents of the pot with an immersion blender.
Step 5) Season with salt and pepper before serving. For added richness, you could stir in a bit of half and half or cream (optional). Enjoy!
Crowded Earth Kitchen 