Potato and Leek Soup

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5 from 7 votes

On chilly evenings, nothing beats a classic potato and leek soup.

Prep Time5

Cook Time45

Course: Main Course

Servings:

Author: Daen Lia

Ingredients

2.2 lbs white potatoes peeled and quartered
2 leeks
1 bulb of garlic or 4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp butter
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 L chicken or vegetable stock
7 oz streaky bacon
1 cup heavy cream optional
1 baguette sliced

Imperial (US) - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven: If roasting the garlic do this step - Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 390°F
Roast garlic: Cut the top off the garlic bulb roughly 2cm down from the top so the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic into an oven proof dish and season with ½ tablespoon olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour. Leave the garlic to cool then squeeze out the cloves.
Prep: Slice the green tops off the leek, finely dice and set to the side. Finely dice the white and pale green parts of the leek.
Fry and simmer: In a large pot on a medium – high heat, melt the butter. Add two tablespoons olive oil and leeks and cook for 10 minutes until soft and sweet. Add the potatoes, stock, garlic cloves and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then cover and turn the heat to low or until the soup is at a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and cooked through.
Fry bacon & leek tops: In a cold fry pan, add the bacon. Turn the heat to high and cook for 3 -4 minutes on each side or until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, ensuring you leave all of the fat behind. Turn the heat to medium and add the leek tops. Sautee for 5 minutes or until soft.
Fry baguette: On a grill plate or large fry pan on a low – medium heat, drizzle the baguette slices with the remaining olive oil and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy.
Blend: Take the soup off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and stir through cream if using.
Garnish: Top with crispy bacon bits and fried leek tops. Serve with olive oil fried bread.

Video

Notes

Blend until smooth: Bring out the delicate flavours by blending your soup down to a smooth consistency. The potatoes should be nice and tender in the stock, making it easy for you to blend with a stick blender.

Leeks – Choose firm leeks with bright white stems and fresh green tops. Rinse them well as dirt can hide between the layers. Use the tender white and pale green parts for the soup base and slice the darker green tops thinly to crisp up for garnish.
Potatoes – Waxy potatoes like Desiree, Yukon Gold or Dutch Cream hold their shape beautifully and create a creamy, velvety texture without turning gluey.
Garlic – I like to roast a whole bulb of garlic (this is a Daen's Kitchen recipe after all). But you can replace this with 4 raw garlic cloves that are minced if you want to save on time!
Stock – Use a good quality vegetable or chicken stock
Bacon (optional) – Fry until golden and crispy for a salty crunch that pairs perfectly with the sweet leeks and creamy potatoes.

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