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Monday 12 November 2012

Easy Western : Post #3 - Leek and Potato Soup

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I must be one of the last few people on this planet to discover leek.  The first time i used leek in my cooking was when i made Tonjiru, after having seen it on Sonia's blog.  After that episode, i told myself i must make a dish that has leek as the main star, so that i can fully appreciate its wonderful aroma and flavour. 


Leek is a vegetable that belongs to the onion and garlic family, with a mild oniony flavour.  Instead of a tight bulb like its onion and garlic cousins, it comes in a long, tight bundled of leaf sheaths, and the edible portions are the white base part all the way up to about 1.5 feet.


Leek and potato soup is very classic British fare (leek is actually one of the national symbols of Wales).  I remembered having seen it in several restaurant menus whilst i was in London for a short work stint a couple of years ago.  It is incredibly easy to make, and tastes oh so good.  A hearty bowl of this old fashioned soup will instantly reminds you of comfort fare and warms the cockles of your heart! 





 
Leek and Potato Soup
Serves 3-4
 
  • 300g leeks (trimmed and washed weight)
  • 2 medium sized russet potatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 C water
  • 1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
  • Rock salt
  • Freshly milled black pepper
  • 2 tbspn full cream milk (optional, i just added this purely for conventional purposes as the soup already tastes good without this)

Note: most leeks sold in our local supermarkets here have already been trimmed off the top rough sheathes and rinsed of the mud and dirt that is usually trapped in between the leaf sheaths.  If you have bought the leeks unwashed, then trim it until about 1.5 ft starting from the white base part, discard the roots and rough outer layers and thoroughly rinse through to rid of the dirt.

1.  Slice the washed leek diagonally into thin slices.




2.  Peel the potatoes, halved and cut into diagonal slices too.  Roughly chop up the garlic.

3.  Heat 1 tbspn of oil and fry the garlic and leek until the leek have softened.  Add in the potatoes and water and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer for about 15min until potatoes have softened considerably.

4.  Add the chicken stock powder and rock salt.  Season to taste.  Switch off fire and let it cooled slightly.

5.  Pour into a heat resistant blender, or use a hand blender to whiz until the soup becomes a puree.  Reheat until very warm, season with freshly grinded black pepper and serve immediately with crusty bread.





22 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos of a yummy soup! I'd love to try this!

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    1. Thanks Lizzy, i am sure you can whip this up in no time.

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  2. Looks and sounds delicious! I love leek and potato soup, so heartwarming to me.

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  3. Esther, nice warm soup on a cold and wet monsoon season here! Have you tried adding some oyster to this soup? Yummy!

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    1. No, i've never tried before,..now you 've piqued my interest..how do i add oysters? Boil it first then add in at the last minute?

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    2. No need to boil first, just add the oyster (and the juice) at the last minute.

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    3. Thanks, i must get to this in my next try!

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  4. A yummy comforting soup! Esther, have you tried stir frying leeks with prawns? It's really good :)

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    Replies
    1. Another new idea here, stir fry leeks with prawns sounds wonderful! What sauces would you suggest, PH? Just normal oyster sauce chinese cooking wine thingy?

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    2. Esther, yes either oyster sauce or just soya sauce. The cooking wine will definitely make it even more fragrant and delicious!

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    3. Thanks PH! I must try this soon, sounds delicious.

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  5. Yummy comfy soup perfect for this cool weather! I like leek fried with roast pork.....tasty!

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    Replies
    1. Thats s great idea, i will try that since i have some frozen roast pork on hand. Thanks for the tip Cheah :)

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  6. Hi Esther,

    I'm a great fan of leek but my husband and son are not...

    Your soup looks wonderful and I wonder if my husband and son will like leek if I have cooked this soup for them :D

    Zoe

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    Replies
    1. Zoe, after it is blended to a puree, the soup taste just like potato onion soup. My son loves it. Make sure there are no slivery things left from the leeks. Tis soup kinda reminds me of yummy baby food haha!

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  7. Esther, my father-in-law told me that some chinese call leek as "ang mo garlic!" My mother-in-la loves to use it to stir-fry but my children don't like it. I on the other hand always use it to cook potato-leek-prawn chowder! I normally cook in winter to eat with bread! Your soup looks very yummy there~ Just for your information, with your "pin it" sign on top of each of your posting, I can no longer see your cooking photo in my thumbnail. I only see "pin it" sign with the title. Not sure whether you concern about it or not!

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    1. Hmm that's strange....ok, i will check on it. Thanks for letting me know, Jessie :)

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  8. i never had leeks in soup..only in chinese stir fries. The chinese leeks is a must in my family during chinese new year..for auspicious reasons! haha!

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    1. Believe it or not, i have nevr come across any stir fry leek dishes in my whole life! And now three people have given me ideas for chinese leek stir fr dishes,..haha. Blame it on my mum. She has never cooked leek before, so i never knew LOL.

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