Potato Leek Soup

This is a very simple soup recipe I got from a friend a few years ago. I'm a big fan of pureed vegetable soups and this one is one of the easiest, with only 3 or 4 ingredients.

Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

4 small potatoes (12 oz.), peeled and diced

6 small leeks (about 12 oz.), thinly sliced and washed

5 cups reduced sodium chicken stock

Little bit of half and half or milk, optional

Directions:

Combine potatoes, leeks, and chicken stock in soup pot. Cook on medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until potatoes and leeks are soft. Remove from heat and puree, adding more stock if necessary to reach desired consistency. Stir in a small amount of half and half or milk if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Really couldn't be easier, but very satisfying on a cold day. The leeks give the soup a very mild onion flavor and a beautiful green color.

This would be really easy to adapt for the slow cooker. I'm guessing it would take around 4 hours on low or 2 on high.

This is how I wash leeks. Cut them in half lengthwise, then cut into thin half-moons. Put them all in a large bowl with cold water. Using your fingers, separate the leek layers. You won't get all of them, but separate them as best you can. In between the layers is where the sand hides. Swish them about a little bit, then remove them (I use a plastic skimmer, similar to this one). If you are using leeks in a dry application (roasting them, etc), make sure you dry them off really well. But since they were going into a soup, I didn't bother with that.

The leeks and potatoes getting all cozy in the pot.