Recipe: Potato Leek Soup

by Lynsey McGarry

Keeping with the soup theme, and with fall weather (hopefully) right around the corner, it’s high time we prep some cozy single pot meals!  This soup is great on the day it’s made, but equally as enjoyable at a later date if you want to meal prep for lunches throughout the week or stash it away in your freezer for a lazy rainy day.

Recipe

Ingredients: ·  3 leeks, trimmed, halved, cleaned, & sliced in 1/4 inch slices ·  2 tablespoons olive oil ·  5 cups Vegetable/Chicken Stock ·  2 pounds potatoes (any work well, including Yukon, russet, red fingerling, etc.) ·  1/2 teaspoon salt ·  2-3 cloves fresh garlic ·  3 tablespoons dried sage ·  1 teaspoon dried oregano ·  1 teaspoon dried thyme ·  Optional extras: o   Spicy pepper o   Heavy cream o   Grated parmesan cheese o   Sour cream o   Red pepper flakes o   Garlic bread

 

Instructions:   ·  Soak the trimmed, halved, and sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water to remove any excess dirt (it hides out everywhere!). Drain from water and set aside. ·  Heat a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven on medium heat adding olive oil and leeks, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes until the leeks soften and start to caramelize. ·  Once the leeks are soft, add the herbs and garlic to briefly sauté, being careful not to burn the garlic.  After 1-2 minutes, add stock, diced potatoes, and a teaspoon of salt. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. ·  Remove and discard the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender, emulsify the soup until smooth or carefully blend in a regular blender (potentially in batches). Once smooth adjust salt and pepper as needed. ·  Serve with garlic bread, a dollop of sour cream, or grated parmesan cheese.   *Store in air tight container for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months. Tips & Tricks: Cleaning Leeks The challenge when cooking with leeks is that they cling to dirt, especially in between their delightfully thin layers. When leeks are grown, soil is piled up around them, so that more of the leek is hidden from the sun, and therefore lighter in color and more tender. Because of this, the dirt gets trapped, and as the leek grows, the thickening layers pressure pack the dirt inside.  Not ideal when eating.   There are two ways to prepare leeks depending on how you’re planning to cook with them. 1.     Sliced/Diced: Cut off the roots, slice the entire leek lengthwise, and make crosswise/half-moon cuts.  Rinse these in a bowl of cold water, separating the half moons into individual slivered sliced layers to get ALL the dirt out before draining well. 2.     Whole: Slice lengthwise, from the middle of the leek to the top (i.e. away from the roots). Rinse the inside of the leeks under the faucet, ensuring water gets between the internal layers.  Trim the darker tops off, and slice the root tips off (ensuring the leek is fully in tact and whole). Pat dry and prepare for your recipe.