Big shocker, the Irish gal who already
brought you one potato recipe is back with yet another. But when I saw those lovely leeks in last
week’s crop share I couldn’t resist the call of one of my favourite soups -- potato
leek. Plus, I’m a total sucker for
pureed soups, and with as chilly as the weather had been, I was craving
something warm and comforting. For those
of you needing to avoid dairy, this is the perfect creamy soup as all the
creaminess comes from the pureed potato.
So this is one recipe you don’t even need to tweak! This time I finished each bowl with a drizzle
of garlic truffle oil, but you could also top it with some crispy bacon, garlic
croutons or even flash fry some thin slices of leeks. When the temps start to dip again and you’re
feeling the chill, tuck into a hearty bowl of this soup and chase the cold
away!
Potato Leek Soup
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
4 leeks, washed & sliced (green & white parts)
Dash of Kosher salt
¼ tsp chile powder
6 cups water
1 ¼ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 bay leaves
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
If you prep all your ingredients first, this soup goes
incredibly quick, so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal. And remember -- wash your leeks thoroughly,
and when I say thoroughly, think akin to showering after a day at the
beach. You’re going to find grit where
you never thought grit could get!
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over
medium heat. Add in your sliced leeks,
throw in a dash of salt, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until
leeks are soft and wilted. If you can
avail yourself of some Black Truffle Salt from Spice & Tea Exchange in Old
Town, you should absolutely use this in place of any other salt! A little goes a long way and you’ll get that
lovely earthy aroma from the black truffle.
Once leeks are soft, add in chile powder and stir for about
30 more seconds. For those weary of
heat, fear not, I didn’t notice that this imparted any extra heat to the soup,
and while it seems like an odd ingredient, just go with it, somehow it
completely works.
Pour in your water and stir to deglaze anything that might
be sticking to the bottom. Add in
potatoes and bay leaves, cover pot and bring to a rolling simmer for about
15-30 minutes, or until your potatoes can be easily speared with a knife.
Remove your bay leaves and turn off the heat. Now it’s time to puree! If you’re lucky enough to own an immersion
blender, now is the time to bust that bad boy out and go all Top Chef on your
soup. If you don’t have one, first write
a letter to Santa asking for one this Christmas, then you’ll want to puree the
soup in batches in a blender. Don’t use
a food processor, as I hear that will make the soup gummy. If you’re using a blender, don’t fill it more
than half-full, and be sure to cover over a lid with a kitchen towel to prevent
steaming or burning yourself from renegade soup bits. With either method, puree until smooth and if
you feel the soup is too thick, you can always add more water.
Stir in black pepper, and taste to see if additional salt
may be needed. Now if you want to get
fancy, and you’ve availed yourself of the aforementioned Black Truffle Salt,
you can whip up some garlic truffle oil in advance to drizzle on top of your
soup for an added luscious kick. Just
heat 1 Tbsp of minced garlic in oh about 1 cup of olive oil, throw in some
Black Truffle Salt and let that simmer away on low heat for about 30
minutes. Strain out your garlic, and
bottle up the oil for future use. I
added a sprig of dried rosemary to my bottle, because the essence of garlic and
black truffle was just not decadent enough.
(Adapted from David Lebovitz’s recipe, http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/01/potato-leek-soup/)
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