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Leek & Potato Soup

by David Tanis

read reviews (4)

Part of this soup is puréed to add body, but it remains chunky and chowder-like and is also good chilled. If you make it ahead and reheat it, you may need to thin it with a bit of water. Serves four to six. Yields 6 cups.

To learn more, read the article:
Discover the Sweetness of Leeks

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leeks crème fraîche Yellow Finn potatoes more more

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 large or 3 medium leeks (root and dark green parts removed), sliced crosswise (to yield 2 cups), washed, and dried
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. coarse salt; more to taste
1 hearty sprig fresh thyme
1/2 bay leaf
Small pinch saffron, crumbled
Pinch cayenne
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
12 oz. Yellow Finn, Yukon Gold, or other medium starch potatoes, peeled and diced (to yield 2 cups)
4 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth
2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Crème fraîche, for serving
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a heavy-based pot, heat the olive oil and butter until quite hot. Add the leeks, onions, and salt, and then turn the heat to medium low. Add the thyme and bay leaf. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened and a bit browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the saffron, cayenne, and garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 min. Add the potatoes and chicken broth. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the thyme sprig and bay leaf. Transfer 1 cup of the soup to a blender to purée and then return the purée to the pot. Adjust the seasonings. Ladle into shallow bowls; garnish with the parsley, crème fraîche, and pepper.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : with 1 tsp. crème fraîche ; Calories (kcal): 170; Fat (g): 9; Fat Calories (kcal): 80; Saturated Fat (g): 3; Protein (g): 4; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 5; Carbohydrates (g): 19; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1; Sodium (mg): 360; Cholesterol (mg): 10; Fiber (g): 2;

photo: Amy Albert

From Fine Cooking 46 , pp. 64

August 1, 2001

user reviews

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by xoprea, 1/17/2012I absolutely loved this soup. It was easy to make as well as delicious and healthy. I did add 1 extra cup of potatoes based on an earlier review and I pureed the whole soup rather than just one cup for a creamier taste. This soup was an A+ in my opinion.

by Jason123, 7/9/2011This is a wonderfully delicious soup that I've made often over the past years. It freezes well and is nice to have on hand for entertaining. I sometimes add a little cream for more richness, although it doesn't really need it. The cayenne gives it a subtle warm undertone.

by atryan, 4/2/2009This soup is really tasty and I enjoyed making it. However, I think that I would either use more potato or slightly less stock as my soup came out a little more watery than I prefer. Other than that, it was delicious and I highly recommend this recipe. I also garnished it with a few broken pita chips in addition to sour cream (I didn't have creme fraiche) and that was good!

by Loribeth, 10/16/2008I have used this recipe since it was first published. I belong to a CSA and this time of year I have an abundance of leeks and potatoes - I cannot think of a better way to use them than making this soup. Also, though it is nice to have a hot bowl of soup on a chilly day, this soup is EXCELLENT cold. Really. The addition of saffron gives this soup an amazing flavor and color. Would recommend this for both family and company dinners. Elegant in its simplicity.

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