Keek's Potato-Leek Soup
Where two humble ingredients shine
The last time my mom Kathleen (Keek/Keke) visited she was here to help out with Tycho so that Reed could do a weekend-long job while I worked at the bookstore. Normally when she visits I come home and cook, or we cook together, but this particular weekend I was just not feeling it. And that was apparent pretty quickly. Luckily for me, Keek (as Tycho calls her—exclamation point at the end) jumped into action both evenings. I’m grateful to have such a loving and helpful parent nearby.
On Friday she threw together classic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, and on Saturday, working with the meager fresh offerings of our fridge and pantry, made a vegetable broth (clearing out some of the sadder veggies in the process) and with it, a Potato-Leek Soup—I think in fits and starts based on what was going on with Tycho. When I got home it was less-than-half-finished—to glance at it, merely a humble pot of potatoes in broth. She sounded not very enthusiastic about it—remarking that she wished she had more broth, and worrying about other things she could have done differently. But we were busy with the toddler, so she just put it back over the heat and let it simmer away for over an hour while we ignored it.
While I was putting Tycho to bed she blended it using our immersion blender, until mostly smooth. Not wanting to wake T up she left some chunks of potato floating around in it, which I thought gave it a nice looking texture. Given her comments I don’t think either of us had high expectations for this soup, but lo and behold—it was fucking great!!! It was so so savory and flavorful. As I was eating I began interrogating her about what exactly she did, determined to recreate it, because I couldn’t believe how good it was. I think what makes this soup so fantastic is the patient sweating and light caramelization of the leeks until they basically disintegrate. And then once the potatoes and broth are added to the pot you take the potatoes to the point where they are completely falling apart themselves, so that they can be easily blended. Perhaps also, the bit of magic that occurs when you’re forced to ignore a thing you’re doing in favor of a small child?
I later made two versions of this soup, one that I blended and one that I served as is—chunks of creamy Yukon Gold potatoes floating in a deep-brown leek broth. I love both. Same soup, two very different vibes, depending upon how you choose to finish them. I’ve included both serving options below. The Apple Cider Vinegar is my addition. The first time I made it I caramelized the leeks a bit too far and there were a lot of sticky browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pot that I wanted to salvage for flavor. Plus I like a little acid. Don’t forget a slice of toasted sourdough with lots of butter (and even a pinch of salt) if you feel so inclined.
x AV
Keek’s Potato-Leek Soup
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large leeks, halved lengthwise and then sliced thinly into half moons
1.5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
8 cups broth/water
Heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a standard Dutch oven. Add leeks and season with salt and black pepper. Cook until the leeks have disintegrated and caramelized a bit—about 15 minutes. Turn down the heat and cook more gently if you notice any burning.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes, making sure the pieces are roughly the same size. Add them to the pot once the leeks are ready. Season again with salt and pepper and toss until combined, and everything is coated in the fat of the pan.
Deglaze the pot with the Apple Cider Vinegar, using a wooden spoon to break up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Toss, allowing everything to cook and the flavors to meld as the liquid cooks off and evaporates a bit. A few minutes.
Cover with 8 cups of liquid (I used a mix of water and broth—4 cups of each). Bring to a boil and lower the heat. Simmer for at least an hour, until the potatoes are perfectly tender and falling apart.
Check seasoning, adding a bit more salt and pepper and APCV if you like. Turn off the heat.
Options to serve:
Blend with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender) until you have a perfectly smooth soup. Drizzle with olive oil.
Serve as is—a dark leek broth with chunks of potato floating. Drizzle with olive oil.
My next letter will be for paid subscribers, and about the list of recipes I keep on my fridge, that I constantly fall back-on in a pinch. A ritual for reminding myself of the recipes we love in this family, when I’m at a loss for what to cook.
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What I’m reading this week / I’m still finding myself in catch-up mode with bookstore reading—maybe this will always be the case—but I’m ping-ponging between just released books I should have already finished, and books that are still forthcoming, in a desperate attempt to get ahead of things. I’ve just started Dolly Alderton’s GOOD MATERIAL, which hooked me for page one. So far it’s a break-up novel from the guy’s perspective and I can’t put it down. London of course. I feel very much transported there when I read. I loved her first novel GHOSTS and generally enjoy her work.
On the forthcoming front I am reading THE EDITOR, Sara B. Franklin’s long-awaited biography of Judith Jones, the editor of Julia Child, Marcella Hazan and Edna Lewis (and many many others), and also the person who retrieved The Diary of Anne Frank from the slush pile at Doubleday’s Paris office not long post-war. She’s a legend, and I’m excited she’s getting her due with a big literary biography.
Lastly, I finished Ruth Reichl’s forthcoming THE PARIS NOVEL, which was a lot of fun. It was a bit wackier than I expected—not usually my cup of tea—but I got sucked in. I don’t know Paris well, having only been once as a teenager, but I felt very transported there and enjoyed the unexpected path it ventures down. It reminded me a bit of Diane Johnson’s Le Divorce. I hope it gets made into a Merchant Ivory film with an incredible cast as well. ;)
Thank you for the recipe!!