Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Potato Leek Soup

I used this recipe from Alton Brown as a guideline to make Potato Leek Soup the other night and it was great. I did not have heavy cream or buttermilk (I really do not like to cook with them anyway), so I added a little milk at the end to make the soup a little creamier - but for those who do not want to use milk, it really did not need it. Also, I used half chicken broth and half vegetable broth but I think you could use either. The recipe made enough that I was able to freeze some. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min
6 servings

Ingredients
  • 1 pound leeks, cleaned and dark green sections removed, approximately 4 to 5 medium
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Heavy pinch kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
  • 14 ounces, approximately 3 small, Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced small
  • 1 quart vegetable broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon snipped chives

Directions
  1. Chop the leeks into small pieces. In a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt and sweat for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the leeks are tender, approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add the potatoes and the vegetable broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the potatoes are soft, approximately 45 minutes.
  3. Turn off the heat and puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, buttermilk, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately, or chill and serve cold.
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005 Good Eats, Sprung a Leek episode
(c) 2011 Television Food Network G.P.