Leek and Potato Soup

What I like about cooking (as opposed to baking) is the looseness of it. It is very forgiving and allows you to make a lot of mistakes and still come up with something tasty. Or at least edible. This is, I think, the recipe that I have down the best. I have done it a bunch of times, and each time I do it just a bit differently, and I’ve discovered additions that improve it (add olive oil to the butter!) and didn’t (more carrots!). It’s a simple recipe, though. I don’t remember where I found the recipe that I based this one, though. It was somewhere on the internet, and frankly, they’re more or less all the same. It would be hard to reduce this recipe down further. That, for me, is its charm. Oh, and it tastes really good.

Leek and Potato Soup

Serves Four

4 large leeks, split and cleaned
1½ pounds of potatoes, cut into small cubes
4 large carrots, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
One package 32 ounces of chicken or vegetable stock, or about or four cups
A table spoon of fresh thyme, chopped fine
1 heavy pinch of salt
Salt and black pepper to taste

Cut off the roots and the dark green tops of the leeks, and split them until just before the roots. Pull them open slightly and rinse them under running water to wash out sand and dirt between the leaves. When the leeks are cleaned, split them completely and chop up into quarter inch sections.

Place a six-quart pot on medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the leeks and thyme. Add a heavy pinch of salt to the leeks and sauté them in the butter for about twenty-five minutes until they’re soft.

When the leeks are soft, add the potatoes, the carrots and the stock. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for an hour or so, or until the carrots and potatoes are soft.

You can place the soup into a blender and puree it, or leave it that way. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy your healthy soup. If you don’t want it to be as healthy as that, you can add some parmesan cheese or some crisped bacon, crumbled, as a garnish.