Potato and Leek Soup
By Ralph and Patti Villers
We enjoy homemade soups when the weather starts to begin its autumnal cool down. It has been several years since we made a leek soup, but have always enjoyed the results.
To keep the calories down, we worked with lower fat items, such as canned chicken broth with reduced fat and sodium, 2% milk, and turkey bacon.
The turkey bacon was chosen to add another element of flavor without adding the fat of pork bacon. Because the bacon was sautéed with the vegetables, it was not crispy, but had a chewy texture not unlike shredded ham.
The vegetables and bacon were sautéed in the olive oil and unsalted butter to add the rich flavor of fat. We often sauté many items in this oil and butter mixture as well for the additional flavor.
In the past, we’ve used an immersion blender to make soup with a smooth consistency, however since we misplaced the device, we used a potato masher to reduce the size of the potatoes. The result was a delightfully rustic soup, not too lumpy nor too smooth.
We served the soup with a chunk of ciabatta bread, but this can be omitted. This recipe produced six servings. Using a variety of online calorie charts and manufacturer’s data, the calories for each serving total about 255. If the bread (about 230 calories) is added, the total meal would be 485 calories, and this is reasonable in a lower calorie way for the main meal of the day.
Potato and Leek Soup
2 cups leeks, chopped
3 Russet potatoes, medium, cubed
1 Onion, medium, chopped fine
1 Celery stalk, medium
6 Slices, turkey bacon, chopped
3 Cans chicken broth, low fat and sodium
2 Cups 2% milk
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 Tsp. Paprika
Salt and Pepper
- Melt butter and olive oil in stock pot
- Add leeks, onion and celery to pot
- Add bacon to mixture
- Add potatoes
- Add basil, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- After sautéing vegetables for a few minutes, add the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
- When the mixture cools down sufficiently, prior to serving, add the milk
- Heat the milk prior to serving
Serves six.
This soup is almost like comfort food, perfect to ward off winter’s chill. It’s easy to make yet tastes rather “gourmet.”
Enjoy!
