Potato Leek Soup

This is my favorite potato and leek soup! The flavours are rounded and soothing, a real comfort food for blustery cold days. It's easy to increase for larger groups - I've added the quantities below.

Servings: 12

1/2 cup butter (4oz/114gr)

4 large leeks (24oz/680g), white and light green parts only, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces

7 cups water or chicken or vegetable broth

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

3/4 cup buttermilk (OR yogurt) and 1/4 cup heavy cream (OR just 1 cup heavy cream)

Chives, finely chopped, for serving

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. 
2. Over low heat add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted. This will take a while but it's important that the alliums don't brown but just poach in the butter.
3. Add the potatoes, water/broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
4. Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup until smooth. 
5. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it's too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. 
6. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Double

228 Grams butter

1.36 Kilograms leeks

6 garlic

1.816 Kilograms potato

3.312 Liters broth

4 bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs

12 Grams salt

4.6 Grams pepper

339 Grams yogurt

119 Grams Cream

Triple

342 Grams butter

2 Kilograms leeks

9 garlic

2724 Grams potato

4.968 Liters broth

6 bay leaves

9 thyme sprigs

18 Grams salt

7 Grams pepper

509 Grams yogurt

179 Grams Cream