Potato Leek Soup- January '10 Recipe of the Month

Or, as we call it around here 'Leeky Potato Soup.' I just got a Cuisinart Immersion Blender (thanks Mom!) and tried it out on this recipe. Holy cow! The soup was thick, creamy and smooth. It sure beats pouring hot soup into a blender and then pouring it back into the pot. I even read the directions so I didn't spray myself with hot soup, cut my fingers off or electrocute myself. Whew!

Sometime I will remember to take photos of the finished product. But, this one's on the short list for winter soups, so next time.

Here we go (there is also a 'lite' or vegan version below):

2 tbsps butter
1 large onion, chopped (hint- start cutting at the stem, not the root to avoid crying)
2 (or more) large leeks, chopped (rinse well! I use up to where the first 'leaves' cross)
2 tbsp flour
4 cups chicken stock (low salt, low fat)
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed (I leave the peel on) Yukon Gold is the best flavor potato for this recipe, but other potatoes also work.
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup half & half
several chopped garlic cloves, if you like garlic (don't use garlic powder or garlic from a jar)

Melt butter in deep saucepan. Add onions & leeks (and garlic, if desired) and saute until soft, low to medium heat. Stir in flour, brown slightly. Gradually stir in chicken stock. Add potatoes, bring to a boil, simmer until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat, add half & half, salt & pepper. Now for the fun part! Fire up the immersion blender! Put business end of stick under the surface of the soup, then turn on. (That's important! Don't turn the blender on while you're waving it around over the soup. Oy, what a mess that will be!) I found it was a bit hard to move the stick up and down as per the directions, but just moving it around the pot in a circular motion did the trick. I think it depends on the depth of the pot.

Ladle soup into bowl. Enjoy. Makes about 4-6 servings depending on whether this is your meal or a starter.

Lite/vegan version:

Replace butter with olive oil. Replace chicken stock with water. Replace half & half with firm tofu. Follow directions as above with substitutions. Sorry, once you have the version with the half & half and butter, it's hard to go back. But this is a good vegan version and it is tasty.