So did we all have a great Memorial Day weekend? Mine was pretty fantastic. Nothing crazy happened. Just good times with great people. Some bbq action. Some NYC action. Even some East End vineyard action to enjoy some chilled rosé while listening to our friends' band play. Oh, and we totally nerded out a bit and played The Settlers of Catan
And I cooked up a couple things that I can't wait to share with you soon. But let's back up a second. Remember how I was telling you about testing out a bunch of new recipe ideas on my family this past Mother's Day? The strawberry rhubarb crisp went over really well. So much so that my brother Paul just told me he made it for a little Memorial Day bbq soiree he hosted for his wife's family.
This creamy potato leek soup, inspired by the amuse bouche we were served during the chef's tasting menu at Hearth, was another one of the successes at Mother's Day. Asheley was a big fan, enthusiastically requesting all of the leftovers the following day for dinner. She did not share. Meanie.
It's kind of impossible to not like a rich and creamy soup like this. It's perfect on those milder, rainy Spring days like we had here in New York last week. Or even if it is sunny out, it makes for a perfect little amuse bouche. Just fill up shot glasses with the stuff and present it to all your dinner guests. No spoons required. They will think you're super trendy.
I've been really digging the delicate onion flavor of leeks this past year. I'm still in love with the Grilled Flatbread with Leeks, Apples, and Bacon. Don't be intimidated by having to break down the leeks. Just remove the darker outer leaves and cut off the root ends. Give it a good rinse... it's been playing in the dirt and grit gets stuck in the darndest places.
Another reason why I love this soup? I get to use my super awesome immersion blender
The parsley oil isn't really super essential but it adds a nice earthy herbaceousness to the creamy soup. And it also gives a nice pop of color to an otherwise tannish blob.
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Creamy Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 leeks, trimmed, washed, and sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 pound small yukon gold potatoes, washed, peeled, and cubed
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For Parsley Oil
- 1 bunch parsley
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add leeks, season generously with Kosher salt, and cook until soft and wilted, about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. Add thyme and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add bay leaf, vegetable stock, and potatoes. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and cooked through. Remove the bay leaf.
- Using an immersion blender or transferring the mixture to a blender, purée soup until smooth. If using a regular blender, return soup to pot. Stir in heavy cream and cook for about 5-10 minutes more.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of parsley oil.
For Parsley Oil
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Blanch parsley for 30 seconds, then transfer the parsley to an ice bath to stop cooking and preserve the bright green color. Puree parsley in a food processor (if it's not pureeing easily, add a couple drops of olive oil to help it along). Place pureed parsley into some cheesecloth (I just used 2 paper towels since I didn't have any), and squeeze parsley so it releases its juice into a small bowl. Whisk in a little bit of olive oil (⅛-1/4 cup).
Sandra
Well if you are a nerd then I am too because we LOVE The Settlers of Catan game. My husband refuses to play it with me because there was one game when I cheated because I just didn't want him to win...I held onto a few sheep under the table..I'm not proud of it but I did win. 😉
This soup sounds fantastic and I love the addition of parsley oil...herb oil is quite frankly perfect to drizzle on just about anything.
Chris
You play Settlers of Catan?! Sweet! And oh Sandra, keeping sheep under the table... how low. How. Low. Just when you think you know somebody. 🙂
Sandra
🙂 I'll admit I have a problem...but...all I needed was some wood and those sheep would have turned into wood quite nicely.
Emma
How creamy and lush does this look! And I'm loving that bright green herb oil.
Thanks for your kind comment to my blog also 🙂 🙂
Pinned recipe.
CL
I'm a little confused here..."squeeze parsley so it releases its juice into a small bowl. Whisk in a little bit of olive oil". Am I adding the pureed parsley to the olive oil or the juice you squeeze from it? sorry, don't know why this has me baffled, but it does. Don't want to ruin a lovely soup by making a really dumb mistake here.
Chris Cockren
You're trying to just squeeze the parsley juice... basically keeping the flavor of the parsley but removing the solids. Once you puree the parsley, put that puree in cheesecloth or a couple paper towels and squeeze the "parsley juice" through into a little bowl, and then whisk in the olive oil to make it into a parsley oil.
Thanks!
CL
Thank you Chris. I just wanted to be sure I understood correctly. Appreciate you answering so quickly!