I was recently given 2 large leeks by my daughter. Since I have never prepared leeks before, I went on a search for recipes for leeks. I love a good potato soup, so I decided to try a potato leek soup recipe.
This soup has a couple of twists, so read through to the end before you dismiss this recipe as one of the many others on the internet.
In order to prepare leeks, you must first discard the root ends and the top darker green portion of the leek. Then heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy saucepan or kettle.
Chop one large Yukon Gold potato into 1/4 inch pieces (scrubbed, skin on), add to leeks in pan and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper.
Add one container of Chicken Stock. I use the "no salt added" version of this pictured brand, but whatever you like will work just fine. Combine with 2 cups of water and stir.
Cover and simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. At this point, most recipes call for blending soup in small batches, or using an immersion blender in the pan, then adding cream or milk to thicken the soup.
Instead, I decided to try using one of my favorite products: Laughing Cow cheese spread! In this recipe, I used 2 of the regular (swiss) flavored wedges and one of the garlic and herb flavored wedges. The combination is amazing!
Unwrap the wedges and drop them in the soup, continuing to cook as you stir them into the soup until they are completely dissolved.
Once the cheese is incorporated into the soup, the thickness should be perfect. Not too creamy, not too thin.
At this point I decided that I like my soup on the chunky side so I served it just like this, with bacon bits for a garnish and added flavor.
Of course at this point you can turn this into a smooth creamy soup by blending it in small batches and straining it for a perfect starter for dinner or a delicious side with a sandwich. Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment