Tartan Tastes in Texas: Scottish recipe

Potato and Leek Soup

The first time I made Potato and Leek soup was in High School. Back then, in the 1980s, in High School in Scotland the girls went to sewing and cooking class and the boys went to metal work and wood work class. Yes I am that old. Ha !

The soup I make now though is much more thicker and heartier than the version from my High School days.

I prefer a thicker, more creamier (without the cream no less) soup rather than a soup that has the veggies swimming in a liquid broth. That's the thing about soup, you can adapt it to make it your own and to give it the consistency that you like best

So this recipe is for the thicker kind of Potato and Leek Soup, if you wish it to be more thinner in consistency then just use less potatoes, say 1lb instead of 2lbs

Lets get started

You will need

Potatoes, leeks, onion

Veg broth

3 leeks
1 medium onion
2 lbs Small Potatoes with skins on (1lb of potatoes without skins if a more broth-like soup is preferred)
Splash of Olive Oil
Fresh parsley
32floz Vegetable Stock or Broth
Salt
Pepper (lots of pepper)

Chop onion place in a large saucepan with some olive oil

Chopped onions

Cut the root ends from the leeks and remove outer layers that look tattered, cut length ways first, then wash thoroughly

cut leeks

Chop down the length into little semi circle pieces of leeks, (include the green part all the way down) place into the pot with the onion

prepared leeks

chopped leeks

Mix well into the oil using a wooden spoon and sweat the onion and leeks on a medium heat until tender, not browned (about 10 minutes)

Sweat the leeks

While leeks and onion are on the heat, chop the potatoes into bite size chunks, leaving the skins on

add potatoes

Add broth and potatoes, and salt and pepper to taste, to the pot with the leeks and bring to boil, then lower to simmer for 30 minutes until potatoes are soft

Potato and Leek soup

Once ready, mash the contents to thicken the soup and blend the potatoes, do this to your preference, mash all potato for a thicker soup, less potato for a more broth-like, chunky soup