Potato Leek Soup

With my recent visits to UK on business trips, I got to try out potato leek soup, potato being a staple food in the UK! This was the first time I was trying out potato leek soup and I simply loved it! It is so hearty and filling, that when you are in a cold country, and you just want something warm and comforting, this is just perfect!!

I tried my hand at making the soup, and it was a success! Even Raj, who is not fond of soups, really liked it and wants me to make it again ;) I took the leftovers for lunch the following day, and it tasted even better!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 white onion roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
3 leeks roughly sliced
4 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream or 1 cup milk(if you want to make it light)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a large pot on medium heat, put in the olive oil and butter. Let the butter melt. Then add in the leeks, onions and garlic, with salt and pepper to taste, and stir it until the leeks are tender for about 7 minutes.

Add in the potatoes, and add more salt and pepper and saute it for a couple minutes. Add in the thyme, cream(or milk) and vegetable broth and stir. After adding the potatoes, boil it for about 10 minutes till the potatoes are tender.

Put this mixture into a blender. Do not fill the blender to the top! This mixture is hot and the blender should be half full. Once blended well, pour this mixture into another pot with a sieve. Repeat till all the mixture has been blended. Sieve the blended mixture. The soup will have a nice smooth consistency.

Now heat this mixture in the pot for a couple minutes and its ready to serve! The best way to have this soup is with crispy sourdough bread, that has been toasted in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper on the top! ENJOY!!