We can begin to feed...: Comfort Food For a Rainy Day... Potato and Leek Soup

The Captain has been asking for potato soup for several weeks now so when I saw some leeks on sale at our favorite local produce market this morning, I decided to go ahead and make some today. It is rainy and cool and soup is very appealing right now.

You don't have to use leeks; a sweet white onion might be nice too. but I do like the flavor of leeks with the Yukon Gold yellow potatoes I chose. And I used some homemade vegetable broth that I made up yesterday. Use your favorite potatoes, and peel or not as you like.

I used a bit of butter along with the oil strictly for flavor. You could use olive oil or a blend of olive and canola oils if you prefer.

When the soup has cooked, I like to use my immersion blender right in the soup pot to break up some of it and make it thick and creamy. You might prefer to use a regular blender; in that case I would blend about three fourths and then return it to the pot and mix it in. Either way, you will get a thick, creamy and delicious result. Feel free to leave it as chunky as you like.

Potato and Leek Soup
Makes 6 servings of 1-1/2 cups each

2 pounds yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes
1 large leek
1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp butter
4 cups vegetable broth
Dashes of salt, pepper, and orgeno to taste

Prepare potatoes and set aside.
Wash leek and cut end off and discard. Slice the white part very thinly and discard the green.
Place the leek slices into a large saucepan along with the oil and butter.
Heat on LOW and cook the leek for about 10 minutes until it is translucent but do not let it brown. The slices will break up into rings.
Add the broth, potato and seasonings.
Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potato pieces are cooked.
Remove from heat.
Use immersion blender or regular blender to break up some of the potatoes and leeks.
Reheat if necessary and serve, garnished with bacon bits, and a dollop of Greek yogurt.