JANUARY'S COMFORT FOOD; loaded leek and potato soup

January...

...around here, the first month of the year is usually cold, snowy and a little grey.  The perfect companion to a cold winter day ...well that could be a lot of things... fuzzy socks, a warm blanket, a good book... if it's up to me, and I can ONLY pick one thing, I choose a perfect comfort food.....and in this case, loaded potato & leek soup.  A really great soup, beyond EASY to fix and everyone loves it, even our picky eater.

We served this soup as an appetizer at our Thanksgiving last year while we waited for the turkey to finish...it was a big hit with family of all ages!

Full recipe follows at the end of the post...after all the photos.

Here is a quick how-to guide:

Peel and slice up a 3 lb. bag of russet potatoes.  Put into a pot of water and heat on medium until just tender.  Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

Leeks...can be sandy...be sure to give them a good soak.  Chop off the dark green leaves at the top and the roots at the bottom.  Slice 2 medium or 3 small leeks and rinse them well.  I like to let them soak in a colander of cold water while I work on the potatoes.  Simply lift the colander out and give them a final rinse.

Cook the leeks in 1 tablespoon of butter until soft and just beginning to caramelize.

  Add:   

 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground coriander seed &
 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

  Add two 14 ounce cans of chicken stock.  

(It's fine to substitute vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)  Adding the stock will loosen the seasonings and browned leeks that may be on the bottom of the pot...Return the potatoes to the pot and bring pot to a boil.

Reduce heat to low.
Add 1/2 pint of heavy cream or half and half.  The heavy cream is really rich, either work wonderfully.

Let simmer on low at least 30 minutes-or up to all day, stirring occasionally.  If the soup is on all afternoon...it may get a little on the thick side, have a little extra cream or stock available to thin it. As the soup simmers, the potatoes get creamier and the flavors all come together.

Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  It is better to salt and pepper at the end of simmering, just before serving...salting too early and too much can lead to salty soup, especially if it simmered all afternoon and reduced down.

Top the soup with shredded cheese, sour cream, even bacon crumbles...

Now that the creamy, loaded potato-leek soup is ready...
I'm ready for those fuzzy socks and a good book!  Enjoy.

Blue Ribbon Kitchen’s: Loaded Potato Leek Soup:

3lbs. Russet Potatoes-sliced into chunks and cooked until tender and drained

Leeks 2-3- sliced, rinsed and drained

1 tsp unsalted butter

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

1 ½ tsp ground coriander

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt

Chicken or vegetable stock; two cans-28 ounces

Heavy cream or half and half

Toppings for “loading” soup: shredded sharp cheddar cheese, chives, scallions,   crumbled bacon, sour cream.

Directions:

Peel and slice a 3 lb. bag of russet potatoes.  Put into a pot of water and heat on medium until just tender.  Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

Leeks...can be sandy...be sure to give them a good soak.  Chop off the dark green leaves at the top and the roots at the bottom. 

Slice 2 medium or 3 small leeks and rinse them well.  I like to let them soak in a colander of cold water while I work on the potatoes.  Simply lift the colander out and give them a final rinse.

In a large pot on medium, cook the leeks in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter until soft and just beginning to caramelize.

Add:

1 ½ teaspoons of ground coriander seed 
 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 tsp salt

 Two 14-ounce cans of chicken stock

(It's fine to substitute vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)  Adding the stock will loosen the seasonings and browned leeks that may be on the bottom of the pot...Return the potatoes to the pot and bring pot to a boil.

Reduce heat to low.
Add 1/2 pint of heavy cream or half and half.  The heavy cream is really rich, either work wonderfully.

Let simmer on low at least 30 minutes-or up to all day, stirring occasionally.  If the soup is on all afternoon...it may get a little on the thick side, have a little extra cream or stock available to thin it. As the soup simmers, the potatoes get creamier and the flavors all come together.

Add additional salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  It is better to salt and pepper at the end of simmering, just before serving...salting too early and too much can lead to salty soup, especially if it simmered all afternoon and reduced down.

Top the soup with shredded cheese, sour cream, chives or bacon crumbles... Enjoy!