Potato Soup

Potatoes were on sale (88 cents for 10 lbs!) and I wanted to make this yummy soup that my cousin posted awhile ago. Of course, I didn't have leeks (I have made it with the leeks and it is mighty tasty) so I improvised. I thought, what could I add to give it a punch of flavor? And of course I thought of garlic. This is perfect for Halloween because you will ward off all the vampires with your garlic breath, but it is delicious.

*I think I like the original recipe better. So here it is. But if you don't want to go buy leeks (or if you want to ward off all the vampires that are out this time of year), I will give you my alterations at the bottom.

K’s Potato Leek Soup
3 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, thinly sliced*
1 medium or large onion, chopped
6 – 8 russet potatoes, thinly sliced**
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (or enough to barely cover potatoes)
1 cup heavy cream (I used light whipping cream and it was still rich and delicious!)
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1) Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat then add onions and leeks. Cook, stirring, until onions are limp and just slightly brown.
2) Add sliced potatoes to saucepan then pour in enough chicken broth to just barely cover the potatoes. Continue cooking over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Using a potato masher, mash and stir potatoes until desired consistency is reached. As you mash the potatoes and the soup thickens, turn down heat and stir frequently with a large spoon to prevent scorching on the bottom.
3) Add one cup of heavy cream (or more if you desire) and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook 15 minutes more over low heat, stirring frequently, then remove from heat and serve.
Notes: *Make sure to clean leeks thoroughly and slice only the white and light green part of the leeks. **You don’t need to peel the potatoes as the peels add to the rustic texture of the soup. But make sure to scrub them thoroughly and remove any obvious blemishes before slicing. Although we always make it with chicken broth, this can easily become a vegetarian soup by simply using vegetable broth instead.

Alterations:
-Roast one head of garlic by chopping off the top and drizzling olive oil onto the exposed cloves. Then wrap in foil and cook at 400 for about 45 minutes. (Or if you were lucky enough to be gifted an electric garlic roaster at your wedding use that. Unfortunately mine was buried in boxes in the basement, so I did it the old-fashioned way.) Remove from foil and squeeze out garlic cloves. Mash roasted garlic with a fork. Add garlic when you add the potatoes and leave out the leeks.
-I used whole milk and it was mighty tasty. I'm sure "K" knew what she was doing with the heavy cream, but I saved a few bucks and a few million calories.

I served this with yesterday's rolls.  This meal might just be a weekly staple at our house in one form or another until spring decides to show her pretty little face!