Someone wise once said, “If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff.” Well, we can undoubtedly confirm that this potato leek soup is definitely the good stuff. No ‘little chef’ required!

Ingredients

Vichyssoise Ingredients:

2-3 medium leeks (whites and light green parts only), trimmed
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 Cups vegetable or chicken stock
2-3 medium russet potatoes, peeled + diced
½ Cup heavy cream + more to finish, cold
To taste kosher salt
To taste freshly ground black pepper
To garnish: chopped chives

Potato Leek Soup Ingredients:

1 head garlic, halved
1 tsp neutral oil
As needed kosher salt
As needed freshly group black pepper
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 medium leeks, cleaned + thinly sliced (see recipe above)
¾ Cup dry white wine
2-3 medium russet potatoes, peeled + diced
4 Cups Homemade Vegetable Stock (see recipe below)
1 Cup heavy cream
½ tsp ground white pepper
2 oz quark (cream cheese or farmers cheese)
To garnish: chopped chives + extra virgin olive oil

Homemade Vegetable Stock Ingredients:

2-3 medium leeks (green tops only), rinsed + roughly chopped
1 bunch celery, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, roughly chopped
1 large parsnip, roughly chopped
1 large onion, quartered
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1-2 stems fresh rosemary
5-6 parsley stems (with leaves)
3-4 bay leaves
5-6 garlic cloves, smashed

Method

Vichyssoise Method:

Cut the leaks in half and soak them in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat the leeks dry, then chop into thin strips.
Melt the butter in a saucepot. Add the leeks and cook for 3-5 minutes or until softened.
Add the stock and potatoes to the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Carefully, transfer the soup to a heat-safe cylindrical container. Then, using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.
Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Allow the soup to cool before refrigerating until completely chilled, about 3-4 hours.
Serve with chopped chives and an additional drizzle of cream.

Potato Leek Soup Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
Drizzle the garlic with the neutral oil and season with salt and pepper. Then, wrap the seasoned garlic head in aluminum foil.
Roast the garlic in the preheated oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until the garlic is completely soft. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Melt the butter in a large hig-walled skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until completely softened, 10-12 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and continue to cook until the leeks become jammy and the wine is almost entirely evaporated, about 7-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the diced potatoes in another high-walled skillet and cover with cold water (or stock). Bring the water (or stock) to a boil, season with 2-3 teaspoons of salt, and cook the potatoes until tender, 12-15 minutes. Drain and reserve the potatoes.
Deglaze leek-filled skillet with stock, then add about half of the cooked potatoes and the roasted garlic. Stir to combine and simmer the soup for about 5 minutes.
Carefully, transfer the soup to a high-powered blender. Blend the soup until completely smooth, adding more potatoes if necessary to thicken the soup to your desired viscosity.
Return the blended soup to the high-walled skillet. Bring the soup to a simmer and add the remaining potatoes, cream, and cheese. Stir to combine and season the soup to taste with salt and ½ teaspoon white pepper.
Serve and garnish the soup with chopped chives, freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Homemade Vegetable Stock Method:

Combine all of the ingredients in a large stock pot. Cover the ingredients with cold water.
Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a simmer over high heat.
Once at a simmer, reduce the heat and partly uncover the pot. Simmer the stock for 2-4 hours or until slightly darkened in color and flavorful.
Strain and reserve the stock; refrigerate for up 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.