How to make leek & potato soup, from scratch

This is a great excuse to eat some fancy mashed potatoes as an entree.

To easily clean the leeks after coarsely chopping them, submerge them in a large bowl of water and aggressively agitate to release as much dirt as possible. Discard the water and repeat once or twice until the water runs clear.

Recipe for homemade leek & potato soup

In a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat, melt butter.

• 2 tablespoons butter

Add leeks, celery, kosher salt, and black pepper, and cook until leeks are wilted (about 10 minutes).

• 3 leeks, white and tender green parts only, coarsely chopped, thoroughly cleaned of dirt
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Add garlic, and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

Add chicken stock, russet potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes).

• 4 cups chicken stock, warmed
• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, and quartered
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Discard bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.

Add heavy cream, and simmer until thickened.

• ½ cup heavy cream

Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.

• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish with nutmeg and dill (chives work well too).

• grated nutmeg, to taste
• 1 teaspoon minced dill