My grandmother used to make this amazing potato leek soup. No one could perfect it quite like she could, so imaging my surprise when as an adult I learned that its a recipe cribbed from a thirty year old issue of Bon Appetit (Oct. 1976 to be exact). That explains all the butter and heavy cream in it. I once tried to make it a little healthier, using vegetable broth and 1% milk, and it just didn't work. This is a soup that needs to have no conscience.
Ingredients:- 1/2 cups minced leeks (include green stems)
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 qt "rich" chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream (if you're feeling really guilty, you could get by with whole milk. A hint at the end of the recipe suggests substituting a large can of evaporated milk, so that could work too)
- salt and white pepper
Saute leeks, onions, and garlic in butter until transparent. Add chicken broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).
Puree in blender or food processor. (An immersion blender would be super helpful here, as this fills up my entire blender and inevitably makes a mess. The recipe also suggests using a "food mill", which apparently is something that existed in the 70s.) Add cream and salt & pepper to taste. If it's too thick, add more broth or cream (because, of course, you have a lot lying around in your fridge.)
Garnish with chopped green onion and serve with toast (rye is good with this). Serve during a snowstorm, or anytime you need some excellent comfort food.
