Easy, Creamy Potato Leek Soup

I'm a big fan of soup, especially in the winter but come to think of it, in the summer too. Potato leek soup is one of those recipes that is good all year round. I often get inspired by the fresh produce at my local farm stand. When I saw these beautiful, vibrant green leeks and big russet potatoes that looked like it just came out of the earth, I immediately wanted to rush home and make a bowl of creamy (yet light) potato leek soup for lunch. Mmm...

This is about as easy as it gets for potato leek soup recipes. If I may be so bold, it's close to being the best potato leek soup recipe that you can make it in less than 30 minutes. It's low fat and hearty at the same time. Say what? Use vegetable broth in lieu of chicken, and you'll have a delicious vegetarian potato and leek soup.

Serves: 4
Prep Time:  5 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

2 leeks, both green and white part, rinsed well & chopped
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 pound of potatoes (russet is preferred), peeled & cut to 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a large pot, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks and season with salt and pepper. Sauté leeks for 5 minutes or until tender and slightly brown.
2. Add potatoes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add warm broth and bring it to a boil before reducing to simmer for about 10-12 minutes. (Tip: Whenever I use broth, I always heat it up to maintain a consistent temperature with what I'm adding to as well as to speed up cooking time.)
3. Remove pot from heat. Using a hand blender, purée the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serving suggestion: Sometimes I like to add small cubes of croutons for texture. Other times, I may sprinkle a teaspoon of Parmesan cheese or spice it up with a dash of cayenne. If I'm having the potato leek soup as a meal, I may also toast some baguette slices with a nice layer of goat cheese or chèvre. Yum..... It's really delish.