I love hot winter soup that does a good job filling you up and does not cost a fortune, i.e. it's good and cheap. Potato soup has always been one of those foods for me. I prefer to make our soup with large pieces in it but you can puree the soup in a blender before incorporating the cream to make it more elegant, or if you are serving it to small children.
- 5 leeks (white only) halved lengthwise and finely chopped
- 6 cubed potatoes
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 cups of milk
- 2 cups of cream 15%
- Three tbs. olive oil
- 2-3 tbs. or 2-3 cubes of concentrated chicken broth
- You can use the recipe that I shared a while ago to make your own delicious chicken broth
- 1 tbs. pepper
- 1 tbs. salt
- Those of you on a low sodium diet will probably need to change this since most chicken broths contain a lot of salt
- 1 spn. nutmeg (powder)
In a large saucepan fry the onions in oil for 3 minutes. I have heard that frying them like this can make them bitter but have never experienced it. Add leek and fry for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and fry for a few more minutes. Add salt, pepper, broth and nutmeg and cover with water. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add milk and cream and reheat to serve. When you feel that the soup is too thin it can be thickened with a few spoonfuls of starch to get a consistency that suites your taste.
Be sure to wash the leeks thoroughly after cutting them length ways and before chopping them because sometimes sand is introduced between the layers of leaves. My husband almost freaked out the first time he tried my soup and a little sand got into it. It took a couples of pots of soup before he was willing to try it again. Now he loves it and nags me to make it on those cold winter days. 🙂
There is no need to peel the potatoes if you like the rustic version with large pieces, only wash them well. Peel only if you want to puree the soup at the end or if you are serving to children.