FALL IS IN THE AIR!!! I am sitting on my balcony soaking in the cold and fancying the fact that I have a blanket wrapped around me. And Fall means soup. And soup means Irish leek & potato soup.
A few years ago, David and I bought a beautiful Irish cookbook for his brother Peter as a Christmas present. On the flight to New Mexico, we were finally running a mental tally on our hurried pack job and realized we had left the book at home. We intended to send the book when we returned to Colorado, but then I started thumbing through the recipes . . . Dear Peter – We completely forgotstole your Christmas present. I’m so very sorrynot sorry.
Annnnnnd two years later, this soup remains in our monthly dinner rotation. The book is called The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook. This recipe is adapted from this wonderful and inspiring cookbook. (Try the Fisherman’s Pie – the seafood lover’s version of Shepherd’s Pie. To die for.)
David LOVES leeks. I remember the first time I tried leeks was at Papa Stone’s house in New Mexico. I had never had them before (possibly due to my Dad’s immediate distrust of any green food). They had the most wonderfully buttery texture. Of course I grilled Papa Stone on their preparation and also asked him how many leeks you would need per person. He leveled his gaze at me and said in all seriousness, “Well. That depends. Per person? Or per David?” Needless to say, many leeks have met their untimely death in my kitchen.
This weekend, David and I plan on attending the Scottish Highland Festival in Estes Park. As adventurous of a cook as I am . . . I am NOT attempting haggis. Guess the leek and potato soup will have to do for now!
Mikaela Stone
Serves 4-6 bowls
15 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
45 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (or Earth Balance "butter" if vegan)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 3 large leeks, chopped
- 2 large russet potatoes (or 6-8 small red potatoes), chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
- 3 1/2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
- salt and pepper
- heavy cream (optional), to serve
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chives, minced, to garnish
Instructions
- Melt butter in large soup pot over medium heat.
- To prepare leeks, chop the green leaves off at about 1-2 inches above where the white fades to green. (You want to use the light green parts, but you don't want to use the dry, dark green parts.) Placed chopped leeks in a sieve and rinse thoroughly to remove any dirt.
- Add onion, shallot, leeks, and potatoes to the butter. Sautee over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring every minute.
- Pour in stock and bring to a simmer. Maintain simmer for 15 minutes, or until potato pieces are fork-tender.
- If you are oh-so-lucky and have an immersion blender: blend soup in saucepan using an immersion blender until all vegetables are blended and soup is smooth.
- If you are like me and lack said immersion blender: ladle soup chunks into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour back into saucepan.
- Reheat soup if necessary and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with drizzle of cream and pinch of chives.
Notes
If you want a little zing in your soup, top it with some hot sauce.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Leave a Reply