Name: Tremendous Potato Leek Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 4 large leeks; 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed; 3 garlic cloves, smashed; 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock; 1 bay leaf; 3 fresh thyme sprigs; 1.5 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp white pepper; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 3 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

Tremendous Potato Leek Soup

Prep

15m

Cook

35m

Total

50m

Bigly says

Folks. Potato leek soup. TREMENDOUS potato leek soup. The greatest potato leek soup combining the histories of potatoes AND leeks, which is a LOT of history, the French have been doing this for HUNDREDS of years and they think they invented it — they didn't, I did, but I let them have the credit because I'm generous, the most generous chef alive, not even close.

The leek. Let's talk about the leek. Nobody knows what a leek is. You walk into a grocery store, you ask somebody, 'where are the leeks,' they look at you like you've sprouted a second head. Embarrassing. The leek is the most underrated vegetable on planet Earth. It's like a green onion but BIGGER, more confident, more sophisticated — the leek went to college, the green onion did not, that's just a fact — and when you cook a leek down slow in butter, low and slow, no rushing, the kitchen smells like a French grandmother's apartment in 1962. The greatest smell. People weep.

And the potatoes. Yukon Golds. ONLY Yukon Golds. The russets are for baking, the reds are for salad, the Yukon Golds are for soup — end of discussion, don't @ me, I'm not on social media anyway, I find it exhausting, all those popups asking you to 'accept all cookies' or 'manage your preferences' with 200 trusted partners — nobody manages their preferences, NOBODY, they just click accept because they want to read a recipe about soup. Like this one. Which by the way I'm giving you FREE. No newsletter. No discount code. Just soup. Take my word for it.

Ingredients

4 largeleeks(white and pale green parts only, the dark green is for stock, do not throw it away)
4 tbspunsalted butter
2 lbYukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
3garlic cloves, smashed
5 cupslow-sodium chicken stock
1bay leaf
3fresh thyme sprigs
1.5 tspkosher salt
1/2 tspwhite pepper(black works but white is the move)
1/2 cupheavy cream
3 tbspfresh chives, finely chopped

Steps

1
Trim the root and dark green tops off the leeks. Slice the white and pale green parts in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2-inch half-moons.
2
Submerge the sliced leeks in a large bowl of cold water and swish vigorously. Let them sit 5 minutes — the grit will sink. Lift the leeks out with a slotted spoon, leaving the dirty water behind. Do not skip this. Sandy soup is a tragedy.
3
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until soft, sweet, and pale gold — do not brown them.
4
Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
5
Add the potatoes, stock, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, salt, and white pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.
6
Cover partially and simmer 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender and fall apart when pressed with a spoon.
7
Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme stems. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth, or carefully transfer to a blender in batches (vent the lid).
8
Stir in the heavy cream and warm through over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
9
Ladle into bowls and shower with fresh chives.

One more thing

This is the soup that ends arguments. You're having a bad day, you come home, you eat this soup, the day is over. The day surrenders. The day says 'you win, Bigly.' That's what good soup does. It's not just food, it's a peace treaty in a bowl. The French knew this. They've known it forever. And now you know it too, because I told you — straight, direct, no preamble. Pour a bowl. Add the chives. Sit by a window. Now go eat.

★ QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? ★

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Tremendous Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients

Steps

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