Leek and Potato Soup with Bacon
Now that is is officially fall, my thoughts, and appetite, are turning to homemade soups. There is nothing better on a cold day then a cup of homemade soup to warm you up.
Creamy leek and potato soup is a French classic. My version includes a bit of bacon to add a little smoky flavour to the soup.
Traditional leek and potato soup is puréed until entirely smooth. For a chunkier version, reserve some of the potatoes and leeks before you purée, then add them back in. For a more rustic look (and the extra vitamins), I like to use a thin skinned potato, like a Yukon Gold, and leave the skin on one of the potatoes.
Change it up!
Substitute turkey or chicken bacon or make it vegetarian with a meat free bacon substitute or no bacon at all.
For an even heartier version of this soup, add some cubed cooked ham to the puréed soup and just let it warm through before serving.
Equipment
- Large stockpot
- Hand-held immersion blender, food processor, or blender
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 3 medium leeks white and light green parts only, roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
- 3 to 4 Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and roughly chopped into 1/2-inch pieces ( about 4 cups)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
- sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the chopped bacon in a large stockpot on medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Note: you will need approximately 2 tablespoons of bacon fat for the leeks. If your bacon is very fatty, remove any excess fat. If you are using a turkey or chicken bacon with very little fat you can add butter instead.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the leeks to the pot. Cook in the bacon fat until soft and translucent, but not browned, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the diced potatoes, stock, salt, pepper, and teaspoon of thyme to the pot. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- For a heartier, chunky soup, remove 1 1/2 – 2 cups of the potato and leeks before you purée the soup.Purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, use a food processor or a blender to purée the soup, then return the soup to the pot. If using a blender be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dish towel to allow the heat to escape)If you reserved some of the potato and leeks, add them to the puréed soup and stir through. Note: The soup can be made ahead up to this point. Let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2-3 days. When ready to serve bring to a simmer and continue with the following steps.
- Add the cream ( if using), and half of the crisped bacon. Let the mixture come back up to just a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. If soup is too thick add water or stock to thin it.
- Serve garnished with some freshly ground pepper, bacon bits and a sprig or two of thyme.