SK week 41 | Baked Potato Soup

It's soup season, and I love finding new soup recipes that most of us will enjoy. :) I had bookmarked this one a while ago because it's one of Dan's favorites. And it did not disappoint!

(Here's the Smitten Kitchen post)

You'll need:
1 head garlic
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium leeks
5 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
salt
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup sour cream
pepper
Toppings:
bacon
cheese
sour cream
chives or scallions

Leeks are a funny thing if you've never worked with them before. You want to cut off the root bottom and the dark green tops. You'll be working with the white and light green. And the way they're grown, they have sandy dirt in the layers. So I quarter them lengthwise (pictured left) and then chop them all up (pictured right), and then....

Dump that all into a big bowl of cold water and let it sit. The dirt will fall to the bottom. Just use your hands to lift them out of the water and onto some paper towels.

Dice your potatoes into about 1/2 inch cubes.

Get your butter melting in a pot.

Add the leeks and saute about 5 minutes. While that's going, prepare your garlic--rinse off the outside of the bulb and remove any loose papery skins. Cut off the top 1/3 of the whole garlic head. You can either mince up the garlic from the bit you cut off and saute it with the leeks, or just discard it. I discarded it.

Add the garlic head, bay leaves, salt, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes.

Then add the potatoes and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until they're tender.

Remove the garlic and bay leaves.

Add the sour cream and cook for another few minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup, leaving it as chunky as you want. It thickens the soup a little bit, which is nice, but I also liked having some bigger pieces of potato.

Top with whatever you want and enjoy!

Verdict: Before I even tried it, I was annoyed with the recipe. It took way too long and I get easily frustrated with my immersion blender. (Also, I blackened my first pan of bacon, so...). However, it was actually really good. :) I really liked the leek flavor in there and the hint of garlic without it being overwhelming. So I will definitely make it again and just know going in next time that it's a little tedious but worth it. ;)