There is nothing as comforting as this classic soup. Great for formal and informal meals.

Ready

Bouquet Garni:

• 2 bay leaves
• 20 black peppercorns
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 lb leeks
• 4 strips bacon, chopped
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 5 cups chicken stock (you can use vegetable stock if that is your preference)
• 1 ¼ lbs Yukon potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¾ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• ½ to ¾ cup heavy cream or crème fraiche
• 2 tablespoons chives, snipped for garnish

Set

• Cheesecloth
• Kitchen twine
• Immersion blender or food processor
• Large soup pan

Go

1. Make a bouquet garni*: in cheesecloth place bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme together and tie into a pouch with kitchen twine.
2. Trim leeks of the dark green leaves and halve lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Roughly chop the leeks crosswise.
3. In a large soup pan over medium heat, add bacon and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has rendered most of its fat.
4. Add the chopped leeks and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the wine and bring to a boil and let it reduce slightly.
6. Add the bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with fork ans are falling. Turn off heat and remove the bouquet garni.
8. Plug in and place immersion blender in pot and puree the soup. (if you don’t not have immersion blender: working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender). Don’t worry if it is too thick at this point.
9. Stir in the cream or creme fraiche and adjust the seasoning, if necessary, with salt and pepper.
10. Garnish with chives and serve.

What you should know

Bouquet garni is a small bag of herbs used to flavor soups, stews, and broths. It flavors the soup and makes it easier to remove.

If you don’t have chicken stock, by all means use a good vegetable stock.