It’s been pretty cold and yucky here for the past few days and a nice rich bowl of some potato soup just sounded like the absolute perfect thing for dinner. A few weeks back my brother tried his hand at making a potato leek soup for dinner, and while it was good, there were a few tweaks that I wanted to make. Having two cooks in one house is a blessing and a curse.
I wanted my variation for the potato leek soup to be thick. Thick, rich, and all made in ONE POT. So, that's what I set out to do. What makes this an Irish potato soup? I honestly have no idea, other than it’s supposedly a pretty common dish in Ireland. And it’s easy to see why.
This soup turns out smooth and creamy with a few chunks of potato and leek left in there for some added texture. I decided to start this soup out with the bacon and used up the leftover grease from the bacon to cook down the onions and leeks. And yes, you really REALLY have to give those leeks a GOOD cooking to soften them up.
After that, it all goes for a simmer with the potato and some stock and you end up with a delicious soup that is perfect dinner to warm everyone up on these cold rainy nights. This soup isn’t all that different from a loaded baked potato soup outside of the addition of leeks and onions.
I topped mine off with just a few green onions and a bit of shredded cheddar for color and bonus garnish points. I would have served it with a side salad, but it just wasn’t needed. I found this soup to be a meal in itself. No side needed here!
TheSkinnyFork.com A delicious potato leek soup that's made all in one pot and in just over 30 minutes. It's perfect for cool nights and a great idea to serve for St. Patrick's Day! Prep Time: 10 Minutes • Cook Time: 32 Minutes
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: About 2 Cups • Calories: 259 • Fat: 12 g • Saturated Fat: 48 g • Carb: 30 g • Fiber: 3 g • Protein: 9 g • Sugar: 3 g • Sodium: 492 mg
• 8 Slices Thick Cut Bacon
• 2 Leeks, Cleaned & Sliced
• 1/2 C. Onion
• 6 Minced Garlic Cloves
• 2 Lbs. Yellow Potatoes, Cubed into 1" Pieces
• 4 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/2 C. Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1/3 C. Whole Wheat White Flour
• 1/2 Tsp. Dried Thyme
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Place the bacon into the bottom of a large stock pot or soup pot and cook over a medium-high heat until browned and cooked through.
Once done, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on plated paper towels to cool before crumbling.
Discard all but 1-2 Tbsp. of the bacon grease to be left in the stock pot.
Add in the 2 sliced leeks, and 1/2 C. onion. Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until tender.
Stir in the 6 garlic cloves and allow to cook for another minute or so.
Add in the 2 lbs. potatoes and 4 C. broth. Bring it all to a boil then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring on occasion.
Once done and the potatoes are tender, reserve about 1/3 of the cooked potatoes, onion, etc.
Using an immersion blender (or standard blender with the steam cap removed), blend the soup down until smooth and creamy.
Add in the 1 1/2 C. almond milk and 1/3 C. flour and blend again.
Stir the 1/3 C. potatoes and onion back into the soup and bring it all back just to a simmer.
Once done, divide evenly among soup and serve with crumbled bacon bits on top.
Shredded cheese and green onions are a great topping as well!
Step-by-Step Photos:
Nutritional Claims: Balanced • Sugar Conscious • Dairy Free • Egg Free •Milk Free • Peanut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • No Sugar Added • Sulphite Free
