Leeks in the garden about two months ago. They doubled in size since this photo was taken.

Sunday was a good soup day, and since we needed to pull the leeks before the big freeze anyway, I decided to make potato leek soup, one of my favorites, and so easy to make. Leeks, in case you aren't familiar with them, are a type of onion, sweeter and milder than yellow onions. We started our from seed in the greenhouse; when we moved them outside, the plants looked like tiny blades of grass. talk about hard to transplant!

I don't have a photo of the soup to share, unfortunately. but this is my basic recipe. I varied it this time, as noted:


Potato Leek Soup

2 tablespoons butter (I used olive oil)
1 large onion, chopped (didn't use, but substituted celery. I recommend the celery addition!)
2 leeks, chopped (mine were huge so probably equaled twice the store-bought kind)
2 tablespoons flour (didn't use)
4 cups chicken stock (used 4 cubes of chicken bouillon and 6 cups water, since I was out of broth)
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used a lot more than this, probably 8 cups)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup low fat milk (didn't use)

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and leeks, sauté gently until soft. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in stock.

Add potatoes, bring to the boil, simmer gently for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Stir in milk and seasonings.

Puree soup in a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6.

With the changes I made, I ended up with a full 6-quart pot of soup, enough to eat for a day or two and freeze for later. This soup is excellent for freezing, by the way, and we'll be making a BIG batch soon for the freezer.

Good addition to this meal: Irish Soda Bread.