Potato Leek Soup

This past week on the mountain here in Oregon has been snowy and cold.  The ski resorts here on Mt Hood received up to 5 feet of snow the past few days.  So what do we eat to keep warm,  hearty potato leek soup. Leeks are Fresh From Oregon this time of year and I had three in my refrigerator from my last visit to the Portland Farmers Winter Market.  This is a quick soup you can make in one hour.  The secret ingredient that gives it extra flavor is bacon.   This soup is so hearty that all you need to have with it to make a meal is a nice roll.  The recipe makes about 6 servings but you can easily double it.  I had some extra so I just ladled the soup into a plastic container and placed it in the freezer for the next cold day we have here on the mountain.

Potato Leek Soup
3 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 russet potatoes, thinly sliced
5 cups chicken broth (3 cans)
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
4 pieces bacon, finely chopped
2 green onions, chopped (garnish)

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat then add onions and leeks.  Cook, stirring, until onions are limp and just slightly brown.

Add sliced potatoes to saucepan then pour chicken broth over the potatoes.  Continue cooking over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.  Using a potato masher or immersion blender mash potatoes until creamy.  Add the heavy cream, salt, pepper and bacon, stir until mixed.  Cook 15 minutes more over low heat.  Stir frequently because the soup is thick, it will create bubbles and may splash and burn you.

Leeks have a mild onion-like taste and can be eaten raw in salad, fried, broiled or used in soups.   The white part and light green parts of the leek is what you want to use, discard the top dark green part.