Classic Leek and Potato Soup
A smooth, creamy vegetable soup that is brimming with flavour. Turn it into a rustically tasty meal with plenty of bread and butter.
Rains are a perpetual hit among the romantics. Last weekend {Sunday} my husband and I cancelled all our engagements and spent the whole day in pyjamas watching movies. My ambitious culinary soul ventured into the kitchen with hopes of delicious cooking to complement the weather. And, the big pot of Leek and Potato Soup I made turned out to be smooth and creamy ~ a delightful accompaniment to the beautiful June showers knocking on our windows.
French cuisine is one of our favourites because of its unique taste, its freshness, and herby fragrance. Potato Leek Soup, or Potage Parmentier is a French classic. While this is the typical soup cooked in country homes in France, there are contemporary iterations that are equally delectable. A generous shower of watercress turns it into Watercress Soup. Let it chill in the fridge to make some Vichysoisse or if you feel the tinge of experimentation up your nerves, then top it up with some bacon, fried leeks, fresh herbs, and diced vegetables.
While the soup is simple to prepare, it’s the leeks that claim most of your time and attention. They have a knack for inconspicuously hiding sand and dirt making it difficult for you to clean them up. Begin by chopping off the root ends and removing the thick green parts. Then slice them lengthwise and carefully clean each half under cold running water.
Here’s how the soup is prepared:
Serves 6 & Cooks in 35 minutes
Ingredients
- Carrots ~ 2 nos
- Sticks of celery ~ 2 sticks
- Onions ~ 2 medium-sized
- Garlic cloves ~ 2 nos
- Leeks ~ 400 gm
- Potatoes ~ 400 gm
- Olive oil as required
- Organic chicken/vegetable stock ~ 2 cubes
Method
1. Peel the vegetables. Roughly slice the carrots and the celery, chop the onions and slice the garlic finely.
2. Clean up the leeks and cut them into slices measuring about a centimetre each.
3. Put a large soup pot to heat and add two tablespoons of oil. Add all the chopped and sliced ingredients to the oil and cook them on high heat with the lid ajar for about 10 minutes. Stir regularly until the vegetables soften.
4. While the veggies are being cooked, dice the potatoes into 1 cm cubes.
5. Place the stock cubes in a jug or a pan and add 1.8 litres of boiling water to it. Stir well to dissolve the cubes. Pour this into the soup pot once the vegetables in it have softened.
6. Add the potatoes to the soup and bring it to a boil. Turn down the heat and cover the soup with a lid. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes before removing it from the heat.
7. Season this sumptuous soup with sea salt and black pepper.
This soup is light, creamy, packed with flavour, and delicious ~ all qualities I agree that a comforting and soul-satisfyingly soup need.
A good home-made soup tastes so much better than a bought one. Have you ever tried the Classic Leek and Potato Soup?