Recipe - Potato Leek Soup

I made potato leek soup due to a silly mistake one day while out grocery shopping. For some reason, I thought that I needed a leek in some dish that I really didn't need leeks for. Oh well - mistakes beget creations! I went out to get potatoes and more leeks to make this delicious soup.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 4-6 servings)

• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• marjoram, to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 dash Tabasco (or other chili) sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 3 large leeks, quartered and sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 4 tbsps unsalted butter
• 6-8 medium potatoes, 1/2 inch-cubed (approximately 3 lbs)(half skin on, half off)

Step 2: Cooking the leeks
When you prepare the leeks, you want to make sure not to use the dark green parts as they are hard and will not give you all the flavor you're looking for. Heat up a large pot and cook the leeks with butter, salt, and pepper on low. Cover with a lid but check on it every once in a while to prevent browning; you would taste it in the soup if the leeks browned (tastes burnt).

Step 3: Making the soup
Add water, chicken broth, and potatoes. I wanted to keep some of the skin on my potatoes so I did half and half. Bring to a low simmer (approximately 20 minutes). Then scoop out half into a blender and blend to a puree before adding back to the pot.

Step 4: Finishing
Add the herbs (parsley, thyme, and marjoram) as well as your dash of chili sauce for flavor. Stir and taste. Adjust as desired and enjoy!

Photography provided by Duc.