Potato and Leek Soup

I went to the Farmers' Market this weekend to take advantage of the last fresh produce of the year and picked up some lovely leeks. My dad suggested that I make leek and potato soup.

I was looking for a simple recipe, with a lot of flavor, that I could make quickly and found one that fit the bill: it uses relatively few ingredients, doesn't take much time, and requires no complex kitchen skills. So, chop those vegetables, peel some potatoes, and prepare for a warm and comforting dinner.

The Recipe:

2 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks (see my note below on how to clean leeks)
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp thyme
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

First prepare the leeks: Feel the outside skin of the leek and cut off the leaves where they start to feel tough. If the portion attached to the white part feels tough cut it until you have the white part and a bit of the light green part left. Cut off the roots and cut the leek lengthwise. Then slice into thin slices. Rinsing leeks is important, but is also a pain. Put your leek slices in a collander, and rinse them thoroughly to get the dirt and sand out from between the thin layers.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and saute the leeks until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock and cook until the vegetables are cooked through and beginning to fall apart, about 15 to 20 minutes. Using a blender, ladle the soup into the blender and blend until smooth but with some small chunks remaining. You may have to do this in 2 batches. Add the cream and blend to combine, then check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot ladled into soup bowls and topped with some of the chopped chives.