Leek and Potato Soup- a simple fall favorite

My parents are British so leeks and potatoes were always a staple in their garden.  For many years I have grown leeks but have not had much success with potatoes.  This year I tried again and had great results.  It's nice to have a couple of late harvest vegetables and its perfect timing for the cooler fall weather when a nice warm soup really hits the spot.

You can make a very basic soup or add flavors as you like.  It can be made as a vegetarian or vegan soup using vegetable broth or with chicken broth and cream, depending on your preferences.

Start with 3 medium potatoes and 3 medium leeks (white and light green parts only).  Roughly chop the leeks and sauté lightly in olive oil or butter.

Peel and chop the potatoes and add them to the leeks with 6 cups of broth.  I used a darker vegetable broth for this batch.  Chicken broth or a lighter vegetable broth will make a lighter colored soup.  If you want any other flavors you can add them here but the simple flavors of the leeks and potatoes together are so delicious you may not want to tamper with things too much.  I even wait to add salt and pepper at the end.

Simmer the leeks and potatoes until the potatoes are very soft.  Allow the soup to cool slightly and then blend in batches until smooth.  Return to pot and reheat, adding seasoning to taste.  At this point the soup is nice and creamy so if you want a vegan version you can stop here or possibly add a bit more broth to thin if needed.  If you want an extra rich and creamy soup you can add cream or half and half to thin the soup slightly.   Serve and enjoy!

Recipe

3 medium potatoes

3 medium leeks- white and light green parts only

1-2 TBS butter or olive oil

6 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken)

salt and pepper to taste

Cream or half and half to thin if desired

Clean and chop leeks and lightly sauté in butter or oil

Peel and chop potatoes and add to the leeks with 6 cups of broth

Simmer broth and vegetables until potatoes are soft

Let soup cool and puree in batches

Season with salt and pepper to taste

Thin to desired consistency with additional broth or cream or half and half for a richer creamier soup

Submitted by Sarah Joughin