Leek and Potato soup is a quintessentially French recipe. Simply prepared with a handful of quality ingredients – the flavor is unassuming and simply delicious. The perfect balance between smooth and textured, each satisfying sip is only improved upon with the addition of hunks of cheesy, crisp bread (the favored destination of croutons by the French).
Leek and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, preferably Spanish, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, split, germ removed, and thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, split lengthwise, washed and thinly sliced
- 3 large Idaho (russet) potato, peeled and cubed
- 6 thyme sprigs
- 2 fresh sage leaves (optional)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups whole milk
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot over low heat. Add the onion and the garlic and stir until they glisten with butter, then season with salt and 1 teaspoon white pepper, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is soft but not colored.
- Add the remaining ingredients, along with a little more salt, increase the heat, and bring to a boil. As soon as the soup bubbles, turn the heat to low, mostly cover the pot, and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, or until all the vegetables are mashably soft. Taste the soup and season generously with salt and white pepper.
- The soup can be pureed at this point in a blender or with an immersion blender, or can be served chunky (we pureed half and added it back in so the soup thickened, and there were still chunks of potato).
