Potato Leek Soup

There’s something about the combination of potatoes and leeks in a creamy soup base – it’s a terrific comfort food.
Yield	4-6 servings
Time	an hour
Tools	knife heavy saucepan with lid wooden spoon blender or food processor (optional)
Ingredients	2 T olive oil ¾ pound leeks, cleaned and sliced 1½ pounds potatoes, sliced or diced (peeling optional) 2 c vegetable stock or water 2 c milk 1 t salt black pepper 1½ t parsley, chopped
Directions	Sauté the leeks in oil over medium heat until limp, 8-10 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock, bring to a boil, lower heat, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are completely soft, about 30 minutes. If there isn’t enough liquid, add more stock, water, or milk,* ½ c at a time. Stir in milk, salt, and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. You can serve the soup like this or put some or all of the soup in a blender or food processor for a smoother, heavier soup. Garnish with additional pepper and parsley and serve.
Notes	* Adding milk rather than additional stock or water during the potato-cooking stage will give you a richer, creamier soup. Also see my recipe for plain old potato soup.
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