Potato leek soup

I've always had fond memories of potato leek soup because of this adorable cafe next to the office where I worked years ago. It was a wonderfully creamy soup which made me think it was much too indulgent.


Then I actually looked up the recipe for it in the Joy of Cooking and while you can add cream to it, it is optional. The creaminess, I've discovered, comes from the potato.



I started by sauteing chopped leeks in a little butter. Butter is important, this will become apparent later.


Butter and leeks. The smell is heavenly. Side note: my mother does not like leeks. How could she not like leeks? I didn't even know she knew what leeks were.


I chopped up a large potato. I think I should have grated it or chopped it much finer because it would have cooked faster.


Potatoes added to the leeks.


Then about 2 cups of chicken broth and about 3 cups of water added, brought to a boil and simmered until the potatoes became soft. After cooling a bit, I pureed everything until smooth, then returned to the pot to warm up again.


Oh, and of course some salt and pepper added throughout.


It looks super smooth but actually, there were still some tiny potato particles, which were ok but I hope next time I can get it even more smooth. That small pat of butter enhanced the flavor of this entire batch of soup. It was almost like drinking mashed potatoes.