Potato and Leek Soup

Too Hot for Soup

While the middle of July certainly is not the right time for a steaming bowl of soup, I thought it best to brush up on my culinary skills as Fall, by the time of writing this, is 66 days away. Despite being a summer baby, the crisp Fall days are more of my environment. The sun sets a little sooner and waking up to a chilly morning is more in line with my personality.

I made this concoction for the first time back in January when my body was forced by the cold to add some warmth back in me. Surprisingly, it’s a very simple recipe and can be made in under 2 hours with plenty of leftovers to spare. And so without further ado, here it is.

Ingredients

2 large Russet potatoes
3 Yukon gold potatoes
1 head of garlic
3 leeks
1 package of bacon
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 cup of mozzarella and cheddar cheese (set some aside for topping)
Sour cream for topping

Instructions

Cut the bacon into bite size pieces and in a large pot. Once cooked remove and set aside leaving some for topping. I left all the bacon grease in the pot for flavor.
Cut the leaks in half and then into 1/2 moons, place in a bowl of water and rinse. Leeks tend to hold dirt within its leave so it’s important to thoroughly clean them
Cut the top off of the head of garlic, add olive oil. Peel and dice the russet and yukon gold potatoes and cut into bite size pieces. Pour olive oil onto the garlic and cover in foil. Spray the yukon gold potatoes with avocado oil or olive oil
Roast the garlic and yukon gold potatoes in the oven at 400°F for about 45 minutes. This will add an additional layer of flavor to the soup
After the bacon has cooked and the leeks have been washed, add the leeks to the pot. The leeks will help to scrape up all the fond left behind by the bacon
Add 4 cups of broth and with an immersion blender, roughly blend the leaks
Remove the garlic and potatoes from the oven and add to the soup along with the russet potatoes
Add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream along with salt and pepper to taste
With a potato masher, give the potatoes about 3 or 4 mashes
Bring to a boil then simmer on low for approximately 30 to 45 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender
Turn off the heat and add the cheese mixture
Serve in a bowl topped with cheese, sour cream and bacon bits