I scored a great deal on a bunch of leeks, $1 for a bunch. In the supermarket, it's a $5 expense.
Leeks are a member of the onion family, Allium. Other delicious members of the family are onions, shallots, garlic and chives. Now that's a yummy family tree!
What to do with the leeks?
One of the simplest preparations is Potato Leek Soup I learned from S.
Potatoes, leeks, salt and water or broth.
Potato Leek Soup
8 ounces Leek, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 pound Potato, peeled and cubed (about 4 cups)
3 cups liquid (I used 1 C broth + 2 C Water)
1 Chicken bullion cube (Optional)
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1T Butter
Milk or Cream or Sour Cream (Optional)
Leeks are grown by mounding soil around the stalk as the stalk grows. The mound blocks light helps keep the leaves white and tender. However, the mounding just means that you end up with dirt in-between the layers of leaves.
To wash... I split the leek down the middle and slice into semi-circles.
Soak the sliced leaves in water for a few minutes, to loosen dirt, and swish around. Repeat as needed.
Potatoes are coarsely chopped.
Optional: saute the cleaned leeks in butter and salt for about 5 minutes. Don't need to brown.
Add the potatoes and a quick stir.
Add the liquid and bullion cube. Simmer about 30 to 40 minutes.
The Finished Soup
The soup can be served many ways...
As a hearty, chunky rustic soup....
Or more typically, pureed in a blender. Since the soup is low fat, you can add milk or cream to the soup during blending.
Instead of using a blender, I used a stick (immersion) blender to puree the soup.
I didn't have any cream or sour cream... I did find some cream cheese so I added a small dab of cream cheese.
I wanted the soup to be a little more heartier so I added a pouched egg.
Overall, the soup turned out nicely. Nice leek flavor and easy to make.
What surprised me was the blended soup was very smooth, silky and thick. No cream was added but the texture was similar to a rich bisque. Also, the soup reminded me of a split pea soup without the grittiness that sometimes accompanies split pea soup.
4 comments:
This is one of my fav soups hot or cold because it is silky and cream like without using any butter or cheese or cream. Nice job as always John. Yours Audax
Audax,
The silky creaminess was a surprise for me... I don't remember the soup being so smooth. It's been a few years since I've made this soup and I think I just used a potato masher the last time. (Didn't want to wash the blender... lol!) The blending makes a world of difference.
John
I have always seen this recipe as a great starting point for more elegant recipes. But recently I found myself practically living on this soup. I got really sick, and this was the only thing I could actually keep down for some reason.
Good thing it is both tasty and easy to make!
Erik,
I hope you're feeling better. I agree! The potato leek soup is very easy and delicious.
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