“Oh the weather outside is frightful…” The first snow storm of the season hit New York this past weekend, and Adam and I hunkered-down in our apartment with hot chocolate and movies on TV. The cold, snowy weather is prime soup-making time. A creamy, hearty potato and leek soup with bread seemed to be the perfect thing to make.
I wanted to make Adam go, “Hmm” by adding bacon. Yes, bacon! Bacon and potatoes just go together, and I thought it would add a nice layer of flavor to a chicken broth based soup. Many potato and leek soup recipes call for the soup to be puréed, however, for this soup, I wanted to be able to bite down into the pieces of potato and leek. Next time I make this soup, I think I’ll purée half of soup to thicken it up a little bit, but still leave chunks of potato.
As I predicted, Adam exclaimed “Ooh! There’s bacon in here!” The potato and leek soup warmed us up as we watched the snow fall on New York.
Potato and Leek Soup by Anne Printable Recipe2 leeks, white and light green part only 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 – 1/4 pound russet potatoes, peeled, diced 2 TBS butter 1 TBS oil 2 strips bacon, diced 1/2 cup heavy cream 5 – 6 cups chicken broth salt and pepper to taste
Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside.
In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter in the oil, and add the bacon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is very soft and has rendered most of its fat. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, thyme, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and the soup is very flavorful. Add the cream and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with bread.
