Last week, my Aunt and I had a lunch date at Hanna, where we got fabulous sandwiches (mine was brie, bacon and apple ... mmmm) and hearty soup. I had a hard time deciding between their Manhattan chowder or potato leek, but since I've been craving fish, went for the chowder. Since I got pregnant, I've found that I can get fixated on foods and the only cure for these cravings is to just satisfy them. Sooo, as Ron made his way home from work last night, I called and said, "Can you bring home a crusty loaf? We're having potato leek soup tonight."
POTATO LEEK SOUP
9 medium potatoes (I used russet)
6 cups chicken broth
3 leeks, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
Place potatoes into a large saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, saute leeks in butter until translucent. Set aside.
When potatoes are done, skin them and cut into bite sized pieces. A note about skinning potatoes: you can be as fussy about this as you want. I happen to like potato skin so I left a little on. Place potatoes into a stock pot with chicken broth and leeks. Cook over medium heat until simmering, then remove from heat and stir in milk.
Puree soup in a blender or food processor. I did this in batches and poured the puree into a large bowl while working. Again, you can blend as much as you like. I like little chunks of leek and potato, so I did a light chop, but you can make a really silky and elegant soup by completely pureeing.
Once soup is completely pureed, pour back into the stock pot and heat through over medium heat, stirring as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
And there you have it, a savory solution to yet another of my food obsessions. What I like about this soup is its simplicity, both in ingredients and in preparation. I also like that the pureed potato + milk offers a healthier alternative to the heavy cream found in most potato soups. Not that I'd turn down a bowl of creamy potato soup ...
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