Simple Homemade Potato Leek Soup

Name: Simple Homemade Potato Leek Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cup Leeks (4 leeks, thinly sliced, to yield 4 to 6 cups); 4 tbsp Olive Oil (2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons olive oil); 0 pieces Kosher Salt (Kosher salt); 2 lb White Potatoes (2 lbs. Potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or whatever variety you have on hand, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces); 8 cup Vegetable Stock (8 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water, see notes above); 0 pieces Black Pepper (Freshly cracked black pepper); ½ cup Heavy Cream (½ cup heavy cream); 1 ½ cup Bread Crumb (1.5 cups fresh bread crumbs); 0 pieces Sea Salt (Pinch sea salt); 1 tbsp Chives (A few tablespoons of minced chives or parsley); 1 piece Lemon (Zest of 1 lemon)

A smooth, creamy soup of puréed potatoes and slow-cooked leeks, finished with cream and topped with crispy herb and lemon zest bread crumbs.

45 minAmerican

Servings8

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Vegetarian
Pescatarian
Halal

Steps

1Place the leeks in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to allow any dirt to settle. After the 5-10 minutes, scoop the leeks from the bowl of water and transfer them to a sieve. The leeks do not need to be completely dry.
2In a large pot, heat the oil with the leeks over high heat. Add a pinch of salt. When you hear the leeks begin to sizzle, give them a stir, cover the pot, and immediately turn the heat to low. Cook covered for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, allowing any water trapped in the lid to drip back down into the pot. Give the leeks a stir.
3Add the potatoes and enough of the stock to cover the potatoes completely. Crack pepper over top. Season with a big pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook at a gentle simmer until the potatoes are knife tender and beginning to fall apart, about 20 to 30 minutes. Add more stock or water as needed if the liquid level reduces too much.
4When the potatoes are done, use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth or transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth — if using a blender, be sure to allow the soup to cool somewhat before blending to avoid exploding lids. Add water or more stock as needed to thin the soup to the right consistency.
5Return the soup to the pot and add the cream. Stir to combine. Again, if the soup is too thick, add water or stock until it is the right consistency. Simmer for just a few minutes more. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper to taste. To serve ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle some of the herby bread crumbs over top (see below).
6To make the bread crumbs
7In a large skillet, toast the bread crumbs with the olive oil and a pinch of salt over medium heat stirring frequently, until the crumbs are evenly golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste the crumbs for seasoning. Add more salt if you wish and pepper to taste. Add the herbs and the lemon zest, if using, and stir to combine. Toast for another minute; then remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl.