Potato Leek and Bacon Soup is like curling up under a warm blanket with someone you love. It is so comforting y'all!
Recently, I helped my mom with her grocery shopping, and she ended up kidnapping me for the whole day! We went to lunch at an Irish Pub all the locals frequent, and my mom naturally loves because she is Irish too.
I ordered the Potato Leek Soup with Bacon. It was so good, I just had to make it at home! It is well known the Irish love leeks! Except my mom. She didn't get that memo apparently. She did taste my soup that day, but wasn't interested when I offered to share my homemade version with her. Definitely her loss! This is some satisfying soup for sure!
This soup is not only satisfying and delicious, it is also easy to make using just a few ingredients. You can even make this up to reheat on busy nights when you need something fast, but be warned, it will disappear quickly!
Do you cook with leeks? I really enjoy what leeks bring to a dish. They taste like a cross between an onion and garlic, which are two things I use daily! The Leek is milder than both the onion and garlic and won't make you cry when you chop it <smile>
The Leek is related to onions and garlic and has much of the same health benefits, so you can definitely feel good about them. I like having something that adds a little touch of something different while still benefiting from the nutrients. Variety is good!
When shopping for leeks, look for leeks with long white stems. That is the part you will be using. The leaves are bitter, so we won't be using those, but they are good to flavor stocks if you want to make good use of them. Purchase leeks that are crisp with visible roots. If someone has cut off the base where the roots are it will dry out the leek.
To clean your leeks, start by chopping off the leaves about 1 inch above the white portion, and remove one layer of the outer leaves. Slice the leek thinly down to the roots (discard roots) and place leek pieces in a large bowl of water. Swish around to loosen any sand. Use a slotted spoon to remove the leeks from the water and place the cleaned leeks into a colander. Rinse the leeks one more time. Discard the dirty water. This should remove any sand that might have been hiding in between the layers of the leeks.
Potato Leek and Bacon Soup
Published 10/30/2014
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced (you want about 1 1/2 cups leeks. My leek was very large, so I only used one)
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon chicken base (I use Better Than Bouillon)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional Toppings: Bacon, Green Onions, Tomatoes, and Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and a little bit of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until they start to soften. The amount of time will vary depending on the heat and the thickness of your slices, but this should only take about 5 minutes.
- Heat 4 cups of water and add 1 tablespoon of chicken base. Stir to dissolve. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir to dissolve. Pour the chicken broth mixture into the pot and add the diced potatoes. Bring to a boil. Give it a taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Pour in 2 cups heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. This will take about 20-30 minutes. Give it a taste again and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Scoop out about 1/2 the solid vegetables into a blender and process lightly until smooth. If you like your soup without any chunks at all, you'll want to remove all the solid vegetables and process in the blender until smooth. I like it a little chunky. Pour the mixture back into the pot and stir to combine. Give it another taste and once again adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve with bits of real bacon, tomatoes, green onions, and shredded cheddar if you like. Enjoy!
Prep Time: 15 mins.
Total time: 45 mins.
Tags: Potato, Leek, Bacon, Soup, Comfort Food, Irish, Vegetables, Main, Easy, Creamy
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com Potato Leek Soup III
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This looks like pure comfort! I'm going to have to make this soup. I love your blue bowl!
ReplyDeleteI would love to eat at an Irish pub someday! This soup looks fabulous, Marion!! So perfect for a cold day!
ReplyDeleteI love leeks! This soup looks amazing and I'll take what your mom won't!
ReplyDeleteCan this be froze for later?
ReplyDeleteI don't recommend freezing. Soups with cream don't hold up well in the freezer. They tend to separate and can be grainy when thawed.
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