Potage aka Leek and potato soup

Last week we were very kindly invited to the Cottager and his wife's for an informal dinner after work.  The Cottager was in charge of making an old favourite of mine Leek and potato soup, he had added carrots as well, and it was delicious. When I was a child growing up in England, we used to go to France for our holidays every year. One of the highlights of those trips for me was the food, the food in France tasted so much better than anything in England.  There were several things I had to have every year, Stuffed tomato from a charcuterie, a custard slice from a bakery, moules mariner from Etaples and Potage the ubiquitous potato soup that seemed to be everywhere.

Any way when I saw some lovely fresh leeks at the farmers market I decided to follow his lead and make some Potage for my self.

To clean leeks (which tend to have dirt growing up inside the rings) you cut the leek in quarters with out cutting through the root.

Leek with the top cut off and the shaft cut in to quarters

Then you spread out the leaves under a running tap and all the dirt will be washed away.

2 tablespoon of olive oil
3 leeks cleaned and cut in to small pieces
3 small potatoes sliced (you can peel if you want)
6 cups of chicken stock.

Heat the oil in a large pot and add the leek, cook slowly until it is softened.

Leek and oil before cooking

Then add the potatoes

Pour on the stock and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are starting to fall apart.

cooked soup

You could eat it like this, but to be a true potage it needs to blended.  I have a hand held blender that I immersed in the soup and whizzed it until it was fairly smooth, but I do not mind a few bits of unblended potato or leek.

Soup doesn't get much simpler than this, but it really is one of my favourite soups and it takes me back France in the 1960's