Kathy is an incredible cook! But she is hesitant about posting, so this one time, I am entering her recipe for her.
Kathy's Creamy Potato Leek Soup Made with Love
This recipe was a hit with Gloria!
This recipe is very simple but delicious. You can vary it to make it more rich or less rich depending on your taste. I like to make it the rich way.
Ingredients:
3 potatoes
3 leeks
1-2 cups of whole milk
1 cup of cream
3 cups of sweet stock (See recipe for stock below.)
3 tablespoons butter
Even if you have never made a soup stock yourself, it's easy and worth the little extra time.
How to make stock for this divine soup:
3 tablespoons butter
I begin by sauteing some carrots, potatoes, and sweet potatoes with a leek in butter and fresh thyme (or dried thyme) with a little salt. Then I add water and a bay leaf.
Other herbs are just as good as thyme. Sometimes I use herbs de province, which has a whole lot of herbs in it. Rosemary is also a favorite of mine. The choice of herb can vary each time you make the soup.
Celery is also good and so are tomatoes in this stock. If I have them, I add them. Parsley too. The main thing is to avoid cabbage, broccoli, turnip, cilantro, cauliflower, or other vegetable that may detract from the sweet flavor of this delicate broth.
Let it simmer a good long while, at least 45 minutes. Longer is fine. Then strain out the vegetables. All of their flavor will be in the stock.
Now that you have the stock...,
Here is the rest of the recipe:
1. Slice only the white part of the leeks very thin. Do not use any of the green part for this recipe. Saute the leeks in the butter until soft.
2. Add the potatoes, sliced thin, to the stock and cook until tender.
3. Puree the leeks and potatoes with the milk and reheat. Use less milk if you want the soup thick and more milk if you don't want it thick. Depending on the size of your potatoes and how thick you want the soup, you will need anywhere from one to two cups of milk given in the ingredients above..
4. At the last minute, stir in the cream and reheat gently if necessary. Do not boil the cream.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. I like this soup served with hot buttery croutons. It is also good served with fresh chives as a garnish.
Yum. Enjoy!
Kathy Moi