Leek and Potato Soup

Nothing radical here, just a really good and popular soup to begin the meal. Make it with vegetable stock and you have one more thing that the vegetarians at the table can enjoy.

Mon, Feb 08 2010 at 12:17 PM EST

Ingredients

4 large leeks (about 2 1⁄2 pounds)
3 tablespoons butter
3 pounds russet potatoes (4 large bakers) Heaping teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
2 cups milk
Unsalted poultry or vegetable stock or additional milk
Freshly ground white pepper
Snipped chives, for garnish

Preparation

Slice the white and pale green parts of the leeks (everything that is closer to white or yellow than green) crosswise and place in a bowl of water.
Pull apart the rings and swirl to remove any dirt.
Lift the leeks out of the water and drain in a colander.
Use the same water to wash the heavy green tops; save these for poultry or vegetable stock.
Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium-low heat.
Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Add the potatoes to the pot with water to cover.
Add the salt, bring just to a boil, and simmer over low heat until the potatoes and leeks are both tender.
Remove from the heat and let cool.
Purée the soup in a blender in batches, then strain through a coarse sieve; or better still, put the soup through the medium disk of a food mill, which purées and strains in one action. The soup base can be made to this point up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated.
Combine the soup base and milk, and add stock or more milk as needed to bring the volume up to 3 quarts.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and reheat over moderate heat, stirring frequently; do not let the soup boil after adding the milk.
Correct the seasoning and serve garnished with chives.

Yield

Serves 8-12.

Time Estimates

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 30 min

Total time: 45 min

Menu

Thanksgiving Dinner

Your turn to host Thanksgiving? There's no need to hide the beer and serve only wine. Here is a menu that should satisfy the traditionalists but provide plenty of opportunity to show off your favorite seasonal beers. There's also enough meatless stuff here to take care of the vegetarians in the crowd. (Note that this is not a complete menu; let those folks who ask what they can contribute bring the salad, bread, and pie. Assign someone to bring wine or other beverages for the non-beer drinkers.)

Also from The Microbrew Lover's Cookbook:

• From the Beer Belt

• Pizza and Beyond

• From the Spice Bazaar

• Malt and Hops, Meet Ginger and Soy

• From the Home of the Chile Pepper

• Beer in the Melting Pot

Go back to The Microbrew Lover's Cookbook index page.