Irish Potato Leek Soup

Although the French have a version of this soup, it is mostly cream and not so much potato and leek. And, they don’t use any of the green or light green parts of the leeks – a waste.

INGREDIENTS

2    tablespoons butter or butter substitute
1    pound white potatoes, peeled and diced
½   pound leeks, white and pale green parts, cleaned and chopped
1    small white onion, chopped
1    celery stalk, chopped
2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
1    cup milk
2    bay leaves
1    tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or ½ tablespoon dried
½   cup half-and-half or heavy cream

METHOD

Melt the butter in a medium skillet and add the potatoes, leeks, onion and celery. Set the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the broth, milk, bay leaves and parsley. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves.

Working in batches if necessary, add the soup to a blender or food processor and process to a puree. Remove to a clean sauce pan, add salt and pepper to taste, add half-and-half or cream to taste and serve immediately. Sprinkle with chopped chives for garnish.