Posts Tagged ‘creamy soup’

Always satisfying. Always delicious. On a crisp day, nothing comforts you like a mug of this creaminess. In the summertime, you can chill this soup and Voila! You have Vichyssoise!

This recipe is adapted from Julia Child’s recipe. To slim it down, use fat free evaporated milk and fat free sour cream. Not worried about it? Hit it with some heavy cream and creme fraiche. Either way, you will find yourself thinking about it again and again.

Ingredients for Creamy Potato and Leek Soup

• 3 cups leeks - cleaned and chopped - (about 3 leeks)
• 3 cups russet potatoes - peeled and diced - (about 3 potatoes)
• 6 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A splash of heavy cream/half and half/milk/fat free evaporated milk - whichever you prefer
• A dallop of creme fraiche/fat free sour cream - whichever you prefer
• A sprinkling of fresh chives - chopped

Cooking Instructions

1. First, prepare your leeks.

   Leeks look like big, huge green onions and they tend to hold onto dirt.

2. To prepare them properly, cut the dark green ends off right at the point that the leek turns from white to light green. Then cut off the root end.

   You are left with a column of white and light green leek.

3. Slice the column lengthwise then peel the first two or three layers off and discard.
4. Chop what is left and toss into a bowl of cold water.
5. Once you are finished, swish the chopped leeks around in the water and then drain them. They are prepared and cleaned.

6. Peel and dice your potatoes.
7. Place the potatoes and the leeks in a 4 quart stock pot or pan with a cover.
8. Add water and salt and pepper.

   Taste to determine if you have added enough salt and pepper.

9. Bring the soup to a bubble then lower to a simmer and partially cover for 30 minutes.
10. When cooked, remove the soup from the stove and use a hand blender to puree the soup.

11. Add the heavy cream/milk.

    A splash means different things to different people. Do what looks and tastes good. It may be more than a splash, but it does not take as much as you might think to achieve a nice, creamy texture.

12. Ladle some soup into a bowl or mug and, if you want, top with a dallop or creme fraiche or fat free sour cream and some chopped fresh chives.

So good. So easy. So cheap.