Potato Leek Chowder
This recipe makes a thick and hearty, chowder-like soup. But it's really up to you how thick you want it. You can add more broth or water during the cooking, or extra milk at the end if you want a thinner soup. Or purée it to a totally smooth consistency if you don't like the texture of chunks of potato and leeks. Total gratitude to Jane Brody for her Potato-Leek Chowder in her Good Food Book; it's the inspiration behind this lightly-adapted version and the hundreds of bowls of it I've served over the years.
Ingredients
- 3 large leeks white and pale green parts only (see Note)
- 3 large baking (Idaho) potatoes
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (grapeseed or other cooking oil)
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1.5 cups milk (your choice of fat content)
How To Make This Recipe
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Peel the potatoes and wash. Cut off one slice about a half-inch thick, then set the potato on the flat side to continue cutting slices. Lay these flat and cut in batons as if you were making french fries. Then cut these into dice, about 1/2 inch long.
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Heat the oil in a large pot, then sauté the leeks and potatoes with the ground pepper and salt. Stir frequently. You want them to sweat, but not to brown.
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Add the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
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Using a potato masher or immersion blender, mush up or puree all or some of the mixture. I like to use my immersion blender to puree about 2/3 of it, leaving the rest chunky.
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Stir in the milk, check for seasonings, and serve. This is a great soup with a sandwich for a light meal. It also makes a lovely starter for dinner. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Note: These days, I cut off as little of the dark green leeks as possible — why waste good food? I remove only the toughest and most battered parts.
To clean leeks, slice them lengthwise (cut them in half first if that makes things easier for you). You'll see that the leek is composed of interlocking rings. Spread these open a bit and run under cold water to rinse out any dirt that’s trapped inside. Lay the leek pieces flat side down, and slice to the desired size. Rinse again well in a colander and shake to drain.