Potato Leek Soup

It was chilly this morning, and certainly stormy in other parts of the country (!) so I thought some comfort food was in order. This soup couldn't be more delightful - and it's from one of my favorite books, The Art of Simple Food. I didn't have any cream on hand so I substituted a bit of whole milk. You could skip it altogether and it would still be wonderful. 

Potato Leek Soup
makes 2 quarts (serves 4-6)

Ingredients
2 pounds leeks
3 tablespoons butter
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 pound yellow potatoes (such as yukon gold), halved or quartered and sliced
6 cups water or chicken stock
1/3 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream

trim off the root ends of the leeks and the tough upper greens. Cut trimmed leeks in half lengthwise and slice thin. Rinse in a bowl of cold water. Lift the leeks out of the water to drain. 

Melt butter over medium hat in a heavy-bottomed pot. When melted and foaming, add the leeks along with the thyme sprigs, bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft (about 10 minutes). 

Add potatoes, cooking them for about 4 minutes and then add 6 cups water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender, but not falling apart (about 30 minutes). Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

Using an immersion blender, puree a portion of the soup before stirring in the cream. Add freshly ground black pepper to each bowl before serving.