When spring is in the air, but I'm still craving comfort, I love to make this Potato Leek Soup. It's flavorful and creamy with a surprising tang of buttermilk. I think it's a perfect warm and cozy meal for a brisk, spring day. The inspiration for this recipe came from Alton Brown at The Food Network. I lightened it up by removing the butter and the heavy cream. I know, boo-hoo! If you didn't inherit all the bad genes and you want to make the full fat version, you can find it here. But, believe me, this low-fat version is equally scrumptious! I promise you, once you make it, you will completely forget that the fat is missing! All the flavor remains!
Begin by slicing the white and light green portions of 5 leeks. Because leeks can trap dirt, like to rinse them thoroughly in a colander.
Put the rinsed leeks in a stock pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a 1 teaspoon of salt. On medium low heat, sweat until tender, about 20 minutes
As you can see, they shrivel down to almost nothing!
Add one quart of chicken stock and one pound of diced Yukon Gold potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes. If you can't stand to throw food away and happen to have a quart of mashed potatoes in the freezer (like I did), feel free to throw those in instead!
Once the potatoes are cooked (or, in my case, thawed), get out your immersion blender and blend away. Watch as the soup gets thick and creamy! My husband got me this amazing Bosch immersion blender for Christmas and I just had to show it off! (Disclaimer: Men, just because I happen to love getting small kitchen appliances for Christmas, does not mean that your wife will!) If you don't have an immersion blender (I'm sorry!), just put small batches of soup into a regular blender and blend until you have something that resembles a soup smoothie!
Add 1 cup of buttermilk and 1 cup of skim milk and continue blending. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 1 pound leeks, cleaned and dark green sections removed, approximately 4 to 5 medium
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Heavy pinch kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
- 14 ounces, approximately 3 small, Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon snipped chives
Directions
Chop the leeks into small pieces.
In a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil. Add the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt and sweat for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the leeks are tender, approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the potatoes and the chicken broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the potatoes are soft, approximately 45 minutes.
Turn off the heat and puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the milk, buttermilk, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately, or chill and serve cold.