Potato Leek Soup

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Servings:
8

This warm satisfying potato leek soup gets fresh flavor from rosemary and parsley.

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Ingredients

  • 2 dried bay leaves

  • 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary

  • 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 4 stalks celery, cut into ¼-inch dice

  • 6 leeks, white parts only, washed well, thinly sliced

  • 4 shallots, diced

  • 6 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 8 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat

  • 1 cup milk

  • ½ cup heavy cream

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Make a bouquet garni: First wrap bay leaves, rosemary, parsley, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth. Then tie with a piece of kitchen twine, and set aside.

  2. Heat olive oil and butter in a medium stockpot. Add celery, leeks, shallots, and garlic; cook on medium-low heat until very soft, about 45 minutes, stirring only occasionally. Do not brown. Add potatoes, stock, and reserved bouquet garni. Bring mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until potatoes are very tender, about 40 minutes. Remove bouquet garni, and discard.

  3. Working in batches, pass half of the soup through a food mill, fitted with a medium disk, into a large saucepan. Add remaining chunky soup. Place the saucepan on medium-low heat to warm soup. Slowly stir in milk and cream, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Cook's Notes

If you pass the soup through a food mill it will not be overprocessed; if you use a food processor, just pulse quickly.

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, October 1999

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