Potato Leek Soup

The weather is finally starting to look a little fall like here and that means that I am starting to think about soups, chowder and stews.  I love to have a big pot of soup simmering on the stove-top for lunch or dinner on a crisp fall day.  One of my very favorite soups is Potato Leek Soup.  If you haven't cooked with Leeks before you are totally missing out!  Leeks have a wonderful mild onion taste and they cook up beautifully, getting soft, but not mushy in soup.  The potatoes at not only bulk to the soup, but a thick silky texture as well.  As if all that weren't enough, this soup can be whipped up in about 45 minutes.   No need to wait hours, salivating, while your soup simmers!

Here is the recipe from Cook's Illustrated, with my open personal little adaptation.


Ingredients
6           tablespoons unsalted butter
4 - 5      pounds leeks (see note above)
1           tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
5 1/4    cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1          bay leaf
1 3/4    pounds medium red potatoes (about 5), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice


Instructions
1. Cut off roots and tough dark green portion of leeks, leaving white portion and about 3 inches of light green. Slice in half lengthwise and chop into 1-inch sections. (You should have about 11 cups).

2. Heat butter in Dutch oven over medium-low heat until foaming; stir in leeks, increase heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes; do not brown. Sprinkle flour over leeks and stir to coat evenly; cook until flour dissolves, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high; whisking constantly, gradually add stock. Add bay leaf and potatoes; cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand until potatoes are tender and flavors meld, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf, season with salt and pepper; serve immediately.


MY NOTE: If you really want to go crazy, at the beginning of step 2 fry up about 4 oz of cut up bacon. Remove the bacon pieces, and use the bacon fat to cook the leeks. Continue as directed.