Receta Looking for Comfort? Eat Soup!
No matter what the weather, I have always found soup to be a wonderful comfort food. It lightens a dark mood; soothes an ache of the mind, body or soul; can be quite healthy, so no guilt; or decadent when wanting to feel pampered.
One of the best soups I know for relieving the cold and alone feeling of nasty winter weather is Potato Leek Soup, and the addition of cream makes it a little decadent too. Definitely a win-win.
- 4 large leeks, or 5-6
- small to medium; white part only, or 1-2 inches into soft, green section
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 lb. potatoes (Yukon Gold
- or Russet), peeled and cubed
- 1 quart chicken or
- vegetable stock
- 1 cup cold water
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 cups half n’ half
- Optional: favorite fresh
- herb for garnish
- Cut leeks into ½ inch
- pieces; place in colander to wash thoroughly with cold water to remove any dirt
and girt. In a large stock pot, melt
butter over medium heat; sauté leeks until tender (approx. 10-15 minutes).
Increase heat to
medium-high; add potatoes, stock, water, black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low; cover
and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
If using an immersion
blender, puree vegetables in stock pot until smooth. Otherwise, transfer in batches into a
standard blender; puree until smooth and return to stock pot once all is done.
Turn heat on again to low,
stir half n’ half into the puree; let soup come up to a hot temperature, but do
not increase heat to avoid boiling the soup.
Ladle into bowls, garnish
with snips of favorite fresh herb if desired.