Cream of Leek and Potato Soup

I was rummaging through my old recipe books last week and I found a folded piece of paper with the recipe for Cream of Leek and Potato Soup. Across the top of the page, I had written the word “Wonderful”.  As I began to read, it brought back great memories of how I actually got this recipe.

The recipe was given to me many years ago by Chef Jose at the Marriott on Cicero in Chicago. A colleague and I were traveling (which I do a lot of) and we had an early morning flight out of Midway so we stayed the night before at the Marriott within a mile or so of the airport. It was a working dinner for us that night; we had both laptops open and were deep in planning conversation when the young waiter approached us and suggested that we try the Chef’s special soup.

And so we did. One bite and I was head over heels for this smooth, creamy soup with just the hint of light onion flavors. Right away, I asked the waiter to ask the Chef if he would share his recipe with me because I just had to make it for my husband. His response was that the Chef was not in that evening but I could email him and ask. And that’s just what I did. Now you can make and taste this delicious comforting soup yourself. Feel free to let me know what you think of it.

Cream of Leek and Potato Soup

This recipe was given to me by Chef Jose, from the Marriott on Cicero close to the Midway Airport. Although I never met Chef Jose, he happily emailed it to me.

• Author: krazykitchenmom
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 65 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 TBS butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 leeks (use only the white parts and if they are small, use 6 leeks)
• 6-8 medium potatoes (I use russet potatoes)
• 1 small onion – diced
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups light cream or milk (I use half n half)
• 4 slices of bacon – cooked and diced

Instructions

1. Peel potatoes and dice to a medium size.
2. Bring a large pot to a boil and boil potatoes for 8 minutes, until they are tender but not falling apart.
3. In a saucepan, add butter and oil and heat on medium; add bacon and cook until it’s golden brown and crispy.
4. Add leeks and diced onions and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add potatoes and chicken broth; bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 – 45 minutes.
7. Add the cream (or milk) and cook for another 10 minutes on low.
8. Please the mixture in a blender and blend, leaving is a little bit chunky. (I use my emersion blender and mix it right in the soup pot.)