Potato and Leek Soup

Potato and Leek Soup

This soup has a history in my life. It’s the soup that bails me out on a busy weeknight. It’s the one I bring to work and reheat for days. It’s the first course that has found it’s way to our Christmas dinner and Easter supper, and the one I have brought to many pot luck dinners. You get the point. It’s just always there when I need it.

Although it looks like a bowl of milk, it’s everything but that. This bowl packs a punch of flavor that excites the taste buds for more. You’ll never forget to add the two key players to your grocery list, the store-bought mashed potatoes and a leek, and the rest of the ingredients are mostly staples. It’s that throw it all in one pot kind of a thing with some initial dicing and slicing involved (but not much if using store-bought mashed potatoes). You can even be really lazy and buy the pre-diced onions and celery. Yes, you know what I’m talking about, always giving you the eyes as your walk by them. Time is money!

Dicing or no dicing, the best part is, when it’s all said and done, just one dish dirtied! Have you ever heard of a potato soup that takes 30 minutes from start to clean? Well, now you have! Garnish with chives and serve it with a crusty bread.

The Things You Will Need:

  • Stock Pot or Instant Pot
  • Blender or Immersion Blender
  • Cutting Board & Knife

The Hacks:

  • Store-bought mashed potatoes
  • Canned artichokes
  • Pre-diced onions and celery

Pressure Cooker Method:

  1. Start on saute mode until everything but the cream and potatoes are accounted for and incorporated.
  2. Add the potatoes and change pressure cooker mode from saute to pressure cook. Set time to 5 minutes and let it go.
  3. Let pressure slowly release and when finished, pour in the cream and blend it all together with the immersion blender.

Potato and Leek Soup

January 4, 2021
: 8
: Easy

By:

Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
  • Store-bought mashed potatoes or replace with 1 pound of russet potatoes (peeled, sliced and boiled) + butter
  • 1 large leek (sliced and rinsed)
  • 1 onion (diced)
  • 2 stalks of celery (sliced)
  • ½ can of artichokes
  • 1 Tbsp of capers
  • 1 Tbsp of garlic powder
  • 1 cup of almonds
  • 3-4 cups of veggie stock
  • Salt + Pepper
  • Scallions or chives (optional garnish)
Directions
  • Step 1 Soak almonds in water in the fridge for about 8 hours for the almond cream. If you didn’t plan ahead, you can use whatever milk or cream you have on hand.
  • Step 2 Prep all the veggies ahead of time, and if you are not using the store-bought mashed potato hack, boil the peeled and sliced potatoes. Use only the light green and white parts of the leek and discard the tough green leaves at the top. Rinse sliced leeks well.
  • Step 3 When olive oil is shiny, saute diced onion and celery until onions are translucent.
  • Step 4 Add sliced leeks to the pot and saute for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Step 5 Add potatoes, artichokes, capers, garlic powder, salt and pepper, 3 cups of veggie stock and stir so everything is incorporated.
  • Step 6 Cover the stock pot and let it come to a slow boil on medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
  • Step 7 Meanwhile, drain the almonds from the soaking water and add about 1 cup of fresh water to blend into an almond cream using the immersion blender, food processor, magic bullet or something of the sort. Add the almond cream (or any cream for that matter) to the soup.
  • Step 8 Blend all the ingredients together with the immersion blender inside the stock pot. Add some more veggie broth to desired consistency as you blend.
  • Step 9 Garnish with thinly sliced scallions or chives and serve with crusty bread.
 

Is This Something You Will Make Again?

We know this one is not a looker, but it’s a taster. Dazzle that bowl with some chives, and bacon (perhaps?) snap a photo and share it with me on Instagram.

Tag us @hardlyhomemade and #hardlyhomemade so we can see it!

Don’t forget to garnish!