Potato Leek Soup

Every once in a while, I like to make a pot of potato leek soup. This time it was brought on by a couple of things. First, it's Lent and I've given up junk (overly processed foods, like tinned soup among other things). Second, there were incredible looking leeks at the grocery store and I couldn't resist their huge allure. So last night I made a nice pot of potato leek soup from scratch.

Since this is one of the easiest recipes to make, I thought it would be a nice one to share. You can make it in the crock pot if you want, though I prefer it on the stove. It's not a very long timeline for a fresh soup, either.

Ingredients:

• 5 or 6 large potatoes (I like yukon gold)
• 1 large or two smaller leeks
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• approximately 5 cups of broth
• spices to taste

In a big soup pot, put your broth on to warm. Don't boil it at this point, but bring it to a nice simmer. Meanwhile, peel and then dice your potatoes. You want the potatoes to fill the pot, but not past the liquid line. All the potatoes should be under broth. Bring the soup to a heavy boil, then reduce heat to a rapid simmer. Remove the outer leaves of the leek and then cut off the end. Coin it, and toss it into the soup. Stir, and if necessary add a bit of water or broth to make sure all the ingredients are covered. Add the garlic, stir, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Some might like fresh parsley (I did) or a bit of celery, but that's a personal choice. Simmer until the potatoes are literally falling apart. 

Using a good masher, mash the potatoes in the pot, along with everything else. You don't want this soup to be thin or smooth - it should be lumpy and tasty! When it's mashed to a consistency you like, add a bit of cream or milk, stir, adjust the spices to taste. Simmer 5 more minutes, then serve with warm bread or crescent rolls. 

This is a great stick-to-your-ribs soup for cold nights.