Cream of Leek Soup
Eat it hot and it’s delicious. Eat it cold and it’s vichyssoise, and it’s still delicious. Leeks are a sweet, mild aromatic that can stand on their own as the backbone of a soup.
The standard recipe for vichyssoise is right out of the Cream of Anything Soup mother dish playbook. Well, the French like their dairy, so vichyssoise has way more cream than I would put in a cream of anything soup. Also, many vichyssoise recipes say to only use the white part of the leek, but I’m on record with the belief that you should Never Waste Your Leek Greens! Leek greens are delicious. They can be tough, but there are a few things that you can do to limit their toughness, and you can use at least three of those things to make this soup. Slicing the greens thinly across the grain keeps the length of the fibers to a minimum. Simmering for an extended length of time tenderizes most anything. And, in the end, the soup will be pureed. By definition, if it’s pureed, it is tender.
Cream of anything soups need some starch to bring body to the soup. Leeks lack the requisite starch. Just like with Cream of Radish Greens and Cream of Carrot Greens soups, potatoes provide that starch. The neutral flavor of potatoes allows the sweet leek flavor to shine.
Cream of Leek Soup
Equipment
- Stock Pot
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 3 medium medium leeks, about 2.5 lbs
- 3-4 cloves garlic see note
- 3 medium all-purpose potatoes, about 1 lb see note
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 oz heavy cream see note
- salt, pepper, and finishers to taste see note
- optional garnishes see notes
Instructions
- Leeks are notorious for holding dirt in their upper parts. For this recipe, where everything will end up being pureed, I recommend this method: Cut each leek in two, cutting where the first leaves begin to separate from the core. Pull apart the leaves and rinse them under running water to remove most of the dirt. Thinly slice the leek greens across their grain, Cut the white part of the leek lengthwise and then slice each half thinly across the grain. Put all of the leeks in a large bowl of water and stir, so that any grit sinks to the bottom of the bowl. Transfer the leeks from the bowl to the cooking pot before dumping the water.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt to the pot, and begin to sauté over medium-high heat. Stir fairly often to bring softened leeks to the top and expose the raw leeks to the heat of the bottom of the pan. Continue until the leeks are softened, about 10-12 minutes.
- If the potatoes have a yellow or light colored skin, peeling them is optional. Clean the potatoes and cut into 3/4" chunks.
- Add the potatoes to the pot and add enough stock to just reach the top of the other ingredients. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer.
- After about 10 minutes, check on the status of the pot. If there appears to be excess liquid, let the simmering continue without the cover. If most of the ingredients are above the stock line, add more stock. Once the liquid level looks right, cover and continue simmering.
- Continue to check every 10 minutes, adjusting the liquid levels, simmer for at least 30 minutes total.
- Once the ingredients are fully cooked, use an immersion blender to puree everything into a smooth soup. Pureeing leeks is more of a challenge for an immersion blender than with other cream of soups, so be patient and take your time. You may also use a traditional blender, but read the notes below.
- Final adjustments are made at this time. If the soup seems too thick, add stock or water. Taste for seasoning and creaminess. For a richer mouthfeel, add cream at this point. For brightness, you can add a teaspoon or two of acid such as lemon juice or vinegar. Add salt and pepper and other seasonings to taste.
Notes
- The most common all-purpose potatoes are Yukon Gold.
- If green garlic is in season, you can substitute a stalk of green garlic for the garlic cloves.
- To me, cream is optional an Cream of Anything soup. I usually add a couple of ounces. Traditionally vichyssoise recipes will use a cup or more of cream. How much cream, if any, you use is up to you.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup with a traditional blender or food processor. Work in batches. Don't fill the blender as the steam can literally become explosive if there is too much hot soup being blended. For each batch, start the blender at a low speed and slowly increase the speed to full. Cover the lid with a dish towel and hold the lid in place.
- Chopped chives and a drizzle of good olive oil are classic garnishes for this soup. I like to use house made croutons for some crunch. For other ideas, visit https://thought4food.life/cream-of-anything-soup/#garnishes
