Leeks were on sale recently and the first recipe that came to mind with this underused vegetable was a Leek and Potato Soup. This soup is also called Vichyssoise in French. As the story is told, it was created by French Chef Louis Diat at the Ritz-Carlton in New York, in the summer of 1917, and served cold to help keep patrons cool. The soup is made of puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock. Traditionally, it is served cold, but can be eaten hot. We like it hot.

Leeks have a mild onion-like taste and can be eaten raw in salads, added to soup stock, sauteed, fried until crunchy, poached, then roasted or broiled. Leeks, onions and garlic belong to the same family, to the genus Allium. All parts of the leaves are edible, but some recipes will instruct you to discard the outer leaves which can be tough and fibrous. For us, the entire leek is edible, including the outer leaves that we used to make our Leek and Potato Soup recipe. We used the white stalk and some of the light green inner leaves for salads, as well as for our Roasted Vegetable recipe.

One of the most important tips we can offer is to wash the leeks carefully under cold running water because they often contain dirt, hidden in between the tightly packed leaves. Split the leeks down the middle, separate the leaves carefully, and look for the small particles of dirt – see second photo below. Have you ever eaten spinach or any other vegetable and crunch the dirt with your teeth? It’s one of the most unappetizing experiences in dining, aside from having bad tasting or spoiled food.

Most Americans, primarily chefs, use leeks to flavor their soup stock. In Wales, leeks are used extensively throughout the country and is one of the country’s national symbols. The Turkish people boil the leeks and then use the leaves to stuff them with a variety of fillings – similar to stuffed grape leaves. The next time you see leeks in the supermarket, buy a bunch. One simple recipe to experiment with is an omelette. Finely chop a part of the stalk and some of the light green inner leaves. Add them to the omelette instead of onions. You may wish to use those same parts in a raw salad, and best of all, use those outer leaves for our Leek and Potato Soup recipe. Ours is made and served hot, and flavored with grated New Zealand cheddar cheese to give it an extra bit of flavor. There were some left-over Afternoon Tea Sandwiches which were a perfect complement to this soup.

Here’s the simple recipe:

Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients

Top of leaves from 3 large leeks

2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup of non-fat half and half

1/2 cup of low or non-fat milk

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash the leaves carefully to remove any dirt or debris hiding within the leaves
Line them up in a bunch and slice them thinly
Heat a skillet and add some olive oil
Add the leeks to the skillet and season with salt and pepper
Cook them for about 10 minutes, then add the chicken broth
Cook for another 10 minutes, then add the half and half and milk
Stir in the cheese until it melts
Season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg

Judge the consistency. If you want a thicker soup, dissolve some cornstarch in a small amount of cold water and add it to the soup. If you want a thinner soup, add some water or milk.