Potato Leek Soup

There's nothing I love more on a cool fall evening than homemade soup and fresh-from-the-oven bread. Potato Leek Soup is one of my favorite soup recipes. I always prepared it with my 5th graders back in my teaching days. I don't think I EVER had a kid who didn't like it.

As is the case with most of the foods I made with my class, the recipe I developed makes a huge amount of servings (22). For a class of 32 kids, this was just the right amount for each student to have a small serving that didn't ruin their appetite for lunch. Here's my family-sized version that makes about 5 servings:

Start with 2 lbs. of potatoes and 3 leeks.

 

Peel the potatoes and chop then into small, even-sized pieces (the smaller they are, the faster they'll cook). Wash the leeks, remove the dark green portion, and slice the white and pale green part into rings.  

 

Heat one can (14.5 oz) of veggie broth in a saucepan. Add potatoes and leeks and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Turn off heat. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender - and I think everyone should- then you can use a food processor or blender, but you'll have to let the soup cool a bit first so you don't damage the appliance.) Stir in 1 cup half-and-half, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Spoon into bowls and eat as is, or top with crumbled bacon, grated cheese or both.

 

Here are some other soups you might enjoy!

Cheesy Beer Potato Soup

Corn Chowder

Tomato Soup

Rice Chowder