REcipe of the week:
Potato-leek soup

Potato-leek is one of the first soups I remember making and remains one of my favorites. I find no need to add cream, though some of my testers have told me they added chicken stock in place of water for a richer flavor. Because I like to use almost the whole leek, along with some parsley, the soup becomes a shade of pale green rather than off-white. —Catherine Walthers

Click here for printable recipe.

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
1 small to medium onion, diced

2 large or 3 medium whole leeks, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise, rinsed, and sliced (about 4 cups) (use all but the thick outer layers at the top)

2 tablespoons butter

6 cups water

2 medium potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish (optional)

2 bay leaves

1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Croutons, for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION
In a soup pot, sauté the onion and leeks in the butter over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the water, potatoes, parsley, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves. Puree the soup in a blender in 2 batches until creamy and smooth. Return the soup to the pot and heat gently. This soup typically needs a fair amount of salt; keep adding salt a bit at a time, tasting as you go, until the leek flavor shines through. Add the pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with croutons or chopped parsley, if desired.

Recipe from “Soups + Sides” by Catherine Walthers, Lake Isle Press, 2010