Potato Leek Soup
Potato leek soup, or potage parmentier, is a French classic. Add watercress to make potage au cresson, serve it chilled to make Vichyssoise, or top it with bacon, fried leeks, fresh herbs, or diced vegetables - use your imagination to spice it up and make it your own. For Lunch or dinner, this is a definite winner.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 450 g About 4x Large leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
- 3 Cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed
- 900 g Potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into 1cm pieces
- 1.7 Litres Chicken or vegetable broth
- 250 ml Double cream
Seasonings
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Ground black pepper
- Chives, finely chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes (Adjust the heat so that the leeks do not brown).
- Add the potatoes, chiken broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to your pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, cover with the lid and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooken and very soft.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves, then purée the soup with a hand-held blender until it is smooth (you can also use a normal blender if you do not have a stick blender).
- Add the double cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust your seasoning with salt and pepper.
- If your soup is too thin, simmer until it thickens. If it's too thick, add water or more chicken stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh herbs to serve.