Potato and Leek Soup Recipe – can be enjoyed hot or cold, although it is best served hot along with melted cheese on top!
Discover or spot leeks at your nearby grocery store or local farmer’s market. The leek (a porrum plant having a large, slender white bulb and overlapping dark green flat leaves), like the Welsh onion, forms only a cylindrical bulb, rather than a rounded one. . Have fun eating another vegetable related to our current onion.
Have you ever had a generous supply of potatoes on hand and not come up with innovative ideas to create a new, different, yet delicious dish? I know leeks are NOT the first vegetable that comes to mind; although, keep in mind that leeks, when added with other vegetables and spices, can really make a smooth, easy-to-digest soup when cooked and seasoned properly.
Leeks are a rare vegetable; it is not regularly purchased or used for everyday cooking in America.
The history of leeks is said to possibly date back to Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt.
It is rumored that the Egyptian emperor Nero ate leeks. He believed that eating leeks often could improve the quality of his voice. It’s not quite clear what part of his voice he wanted to improve, although voice enhancement is what he was after, nothing less.
HERE IS A SIMPLE, BUT TASTY RECIPE TO INCORPORATE LEEKS INTO YOUR POTATO SOUP, WITH ADDED CREAM AND SPICES – A BORING AND DIFFERENT ADDITIVE TO YOUR EVERYDAY SOUP INGREDIENTS.
suggested ingredients;
A large stalk of leeks; cleaned and chopped, discarding most of the bitter dark green parts, which are less flavorful and more bitter, as well as cutting the roots and the parts that came directly from the ground.
sea salt —- 4 teaspoons
white pepper — 2 teaspoons
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
three cups broth or low-sodium beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
1 to 1/2 cups heavy cream or non-dairy cream of your choice, to taste-*Almond milk or coconut milk are also great alternatives to milk or cream products.
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese topping; or mozzarella cheese—- added last and sprinkled, sparingly in your individually served cup or bowl of soup
3 to 4 starchy IDAHO potatoes
two stalks of celery, also add the leaves, full of powerful antioxidants and loaded with flavor when cooked in porridges, broths, soups or stews.
Begin:
Start by sautéing the chopped leaks and celery. Season with sea salt and white pepper and let sit.
In another stockpot or pressure cooker, to save time, add your broth and more sea salt and medium sliced potatoes, cutting into round slices to reduce cooking time. Add all the ingredients and bring to a boil; simmer 20 more minutes, do not overcook potatoes.
Once cooked, the potato, leek, and celery mixture is pureed in an electric blender when blended to the consistency of soup, return to pot, and add heavy cream; cooking over medium-low heat.
Season with additional salt and finish with ground nutmeg adding a teaspoon of smoked cumin.
Serve topped with grated Parmesan or any other rich cheese of your choice and top with dried parsley flakes for color! Serve with oyster crackers or sliced bread
The leek (porrum), like the Welsh onion, forms only a cylindrical rather than a rounded bulb. The leek leaf, on the other hand, is flattened and solid, while the onion leaf is cylindrical and hollow.
Leeks have been cultivated since at least 3000 BC. C. and are native to the vast region stretching from Israel to India.
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