Every month, Heavy Petal collaborates with Willowtree — a website for those with food sensitivities who want to find their culinary bliss — to bring you a celebration of an in-season edible. I’ll tell you how to grow it; they’ll tell you how to eat it. Yay!
Although spring feels like it’s just around the corner, it’s still wet and chilly enough for me to be craving comfort foods like soup and starches. This classic soup serves up both in no time flat.
Potato Leek Soup
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Makes: Four servings
Ingredients:
1/2 large red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
splash of extra virgin olive oil
2 large russet potatoes
2 large leeks
6 cups of organic vegetable or chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste
white truffle oil
Method:
In a large pot combine red onion, garlic, and olive oil over medium heat. Continuously stir until onion is translucent, about 5-6 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn.
Chop your potatoes in quarters. Chop the whites of your leeks, including about a inch of the green portion. Add the potatoes, leeks and stock of choice to your pot and gently give everything a stir. Let simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until potatoes are soft (stick a fork in one to test).
Blend with hand mixer until desired consistency is reached; the potatoes will keep this a thicker soup, but ideally you want to blend until everything is entirely pureed.
Add salt & pepper to taste, and a small splash of white truffle oil as a garnish in each individual bowl for a special occasion (or because you’re a truffle oil addict, like Jackie).
Serve hot, or keep in the fridge to easily warm up for the following days lunches.
How to grow leeks:
Frost-hardy leeks are the rock stars of the winter garden. Start them indoors in early spring (or purchase seedlings) and transplant them out after the last frost. Leeks want full sun and fertile soil. Plant seedlings in furrows, burying them to just below the first leaf. The furrow will fill in over the season, blanching the bottom of the leek stalk and giving it its familiar white colour and mild flavour. Harvest when stems are 1cm thick or larger. If the ground’s not frozen, you can harvest them all winter long!
I grew American Flag Leeks for the first time last year and loved it! Making potato leek soup is my absolute favorite. Yum.
I’m a Welsh girl returning back to Wales, UK later this week – Leeks is something I will def. be growing again. Love the soup, spring still feels a little faraway to me, as its snowing here.
This sounds amazing! I’ve never had leek soup- this is officially on my must try list both for growing and cooking. Thanks!
@Meemsnyc – I haven’t tried ‘American Flag’ – I wonder how they got that name!
@shaheen – Safe travels! Spring is just around the corner :)
@Felecia – Oh, it is a must-try! Such a great winter soup. Let me know what you think!
I grew leeks for the first time this year. I highly reccomend them. THey make a great look in the garden. They are truly, as you say, Rock Stars!!!
YUM! And what sweet little bowls… where did you get them? I love leeks… I love adding them to almost any dish… thanks for the post.
Beautiful images, I immediately get hungry. I am thinking of buying me a garden.
great gardening tips and thanks for another delicious recipe!
This soup looks amazing – I’ve pinned this link here:
http://pinterest.com/pin/191332684141752499/
Cheers :+)
Thank you for the great looking recipe!