Introduction
Leek and potato soup is mild, creamy and very cheap, the kind of soup that warms you up on a grey day. It needs five ingredients and half an hour.
In France it is a family classic called potage parmentier, after Antoine Parmentier, the 18th-century pharmacist who promoted the potato. Served cold and enriched with cream, it becomes vichyssoise, created in New York in the early 20th century by the French chef Louis Diat. In Wales, leek and potato is also a national favourite: the leek is one of the country’s emblems.
Ingredients
- 30 g butter
- 3 leeks, white and pale green parts, sliced and washed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 medium floury potatoes (about 500 g), peeled and cubed
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 100 ml cream (optional)
- salt and black pepper
- chopped chives, to serve
Tools
- A large pot with a lid
- A blender or a stick blender
Preparation
- Leeks hold sand between their layers: after slicing, wash them in a bowl of cold water and lift them out, leaving the grit behind.
- Melt the butter in the pot over a medium-low heat. Add the leeks and onion with a pinch of salt, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft but not browned.
- Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes break up when pressed.
- Blend until smooth, or leave it chunky if you prefer. Stir in the cream if using.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve with chives.