Another “cold-weather” recipe. This weekend, it was kinda cold and rainy here in Boston. No big deal — it is November, after all — but it did inspire me to make another cold weather meal. This is very creamy, even though it uses only milk, not cream. The trick is to use a combination of both mealy (ie. russetts) and waxy (red, yukon gold) potatoes. The russetts fall apart and lend their starch to the broth, versus the waxy that hold together. I even used a few purple potatoes in mine, just for contrast.
Ingredients
1 pound thick cut bacon
2 leeks, trimmed, cut to 1 inch pieces and well washed
2 russett potatoes, mall dice
1 liter vegetable stock
3 cups milk
1 carrot, cut to 1/2 inch dice
2 cups “waxy” potatoes, such as red or yukon gold, 1/2 inch dice (I used a combo)
salt and pepper to taste
parsley, to garnish
Directions
Cook the bacon according to the directions found here. Everyone has their own way of cooking bacon, but this is my way, and because it is done in the oven, creates much less greasy mess on the stovetop.
Meanwhile, in a large dutch oven, combine 1/2 of the leeks, the russett potatoes, the vegetable broth and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are falling apart. In another small pot, combine carrots and waxy potatoes, cover with water and add salt, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the remaining leeks and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. Pour of the water. Once the russets and leeks in the dutch oven are tender, blend in a blender or with a stick blender until smooth. Return to the dutch oven and stir in the milk. Add the potatoes, carrots and leeks that you cooked separately. Crumble most of the cooked bacon into the soup (leaving a few rashers for serving). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with parsley if desired.
