ThishomemadePOTATO, LEEK AND HAM SOUP ISthick, hearty and full of flavour. It tastes so delicious, you won’t believe how quick and easy it is to make.
One of my favourite things about fall is making homemade soup!This homemade Potato, Leek and Ham soup is my family’s newest favourite.
If you like pea soup, you’ll like this soup because the consistency is similar, and they share a lot of the same ingredients.
If you don’t like pea soup, you’ll still like this soup because it tastes nothing like peas. 🙂
Potato Leek and Ham Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)
1 large onion
6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1.5 lbs diced, peeled potatoes ( I just “eyeball” this – I use 5 or six smallish potatoes)
1/3 cup milk
2 cups cooked ham, cubed
generous sprig of fresh parsley (if you have it)
GARNISHwith any of the following: sour cream, fresh chives, parsley, cheddar, green onions, homemade croutons
To make your Potato Leek and Ham Soup:
Begin by chopping your leeks.
If you’re unsure of what a leek is, it looks similar to a green onion (also known as a spring onion), but it’s bigger. As you can see in this photo, it’s a LOT bigger. Now, this is a particularly large leek; they’re not all this massive, but you get the idea.
How to clean and cook a leek:
When you’re cooking with leeks, you only want to use the white or very light green parts. The dark green parts can be tough, and they can also hold a lot of dirt.
Cut off the green section and the root end so you’re left with the white/light section of the leek.
Slice through the white/light piece length-wise, and chop it into one-inch pieces. Throw those pieces into a colander, and give them a good rinse under the tap to remove any dirt and grit.
Back to our soup-making:
Once your leeks are chopped, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add your leeks, chopped onion, and 3/4 cups of your chicken stock.
Stir frequently for about 10 minutes until your leeks and onions are soft and steamed.
Add the potatoes and remaining stock and a few sprigs of fresh parsley to the pot.
Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes (or until potatoes are soft).
Remove from heat, and cool sightly.
Puree soup until chunky-smooth. You can do this by transferring your soup, in batches, to a blender, or you can do like I do, and use a hand-held immersion blender. Mine is a cuisine-art, and I LOVE it. It comes in an array of pretty colours, and at the time of this writing, it’s 53% off right here on Amazon. Just stick it in the pot of soup, give it a whirl, and bam. Your soup is instantly pureed IN the pot!
Once your soup is pureed, add the ham and milk, and heat through.
Ladle into a set of pretty soup bowls, and top with a combination of any of the suggested garnishes above.
Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
Although leeks are known for its powerful taste, your potato and leek soup can occasionally come out bland. The reasons are usually two: you didn't season your soup at all, worrying it might be too salty because of the leeks; or you added to much water for the stock.
How to Make Potato Leek Soup Thick and Creamy. No need for cream to make this soup creamy! Just blend the cooked soup with an immersion blender or standing blender until thick and smooth. Yukon gold potatoes will produce an especially creamy texture.
Why is my potato leek soup gummy? Potatoes should be diced in similar size so they cook evenly, but don't drive yourself crazy getting them teeny-tiny. If they're too small, you risk the potatoes releasing too much starch, which can make the soup gummy when pureed.
What to Serve with Potato Leek Soup. Potatoes and leeks are hearty on their own, but some protein can really elevate the meal. Try staying within the eastern European and German theme with bratwurst or schnitzel-like crispy chicken.
Add the leeks to the pot, lowering the heat if necessary and saute for 10-15 minutes , or until soft and translucent. Be careful not to burn the leeks, as they will impart a bitter taste to the soup. The excess liquid from cleaning the leeks should help prevent any burning.
Use fresh vegetables, high-quality meats or broth, and fresh herbs to add depth of flavor. Add acidity: A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of vinegar, or a splash of wine can brighten the flavors of a soup and make it taste more complex.
Perhaps the simplest approach is to flavor your soup with salt throughout the cooking process. Instead of waiting until the end of cooking to realize your soup lacks taste, you can add a bit of salt during each phase of cooking. Doing so will help bring out the flavors of each of the ingredients.
It looks as though some of your potatoes might have got a bit scorched. Did you fry them off before adding the liquid? The colour from the browned potatoes could be what is turning it brown.
Milk or Half-and-Half: This is the other magical ingredient that turns your homemade chicken noodle soup into the creamiest soup ever. Use 1 cup of whole milk or 1 cup of half-and-half.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the potatoes, and cook for 5-10 minutes until partially tender. Drain and then add them to your simmering soup for finishing. 3. Roasting: For a richer flavor and slightly crispy texture, try roasting the potatoes before adding them to the soup.
It turns out, then, that contrary to internet opinion, it is possible to redeem your potato leek soup if somehow it becomes gluey. Ladle some into a freezer bag, freeze it flat, thaw it, and pour off the water.
The purple foam that you're seeing while making potato soup with Russet potatoes, barley, onions, and water is likely due to a chemical reaction between the potatoes and the water. While it's not common for the foam to turn purple, it could be related to the type of potatoes you're using or some other factors.
It's really not a good idea to leave it out at room temperature. I've left stock on the stove overnight at a simmer with the lid on. This keeps it hot enough that microbes won't grow but traps evaporation so it can't go dry. It is ok to put the soup in the refrigerator in a fresh room temperature container, covered.
Leeks have a more subtle, slightly sweeter flavor than onions. So you would use them when you want some onion flavor, but don't want it to fight with the rest of the ingredients. One of my favorite examples of this is soup made with leeks, potatoes and cod, in fish stock, finished with cream or half and half.
Reheat the soup to a gentle simmer (add some extra stock at this point if the soup is too thick for your liking), then pour into warmed bowls. Drizzle the remaining cream over each serving, top with a little pile of buttered leeks and a scattering of chives and black pepper and serve at once.
Your potato soup is bland? Try adding a little more salt. That's usually the answer to any issue of blandness, no matter the recipe in question. A basic Appalachian style potato soup uses only a handful of simple ingredients, leaning on milk and water and often bouillon to create the brothy soup base.
Adding an acid like vinegar or lemon juice and incorporating fresh herbs can also help add flavor to a potato soup. While you may not need to implement all of these strategies, it's good to keep them in the back of your mind for when you realize your next pot of soup needs a flavor boost.
Add acidity: A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of vinegar, or a splash of wine can brighten the flavors of a soup and make it taste more complex. Experiment with different cooking methods: Roasting or caramelizing vegetables before adding them to the soup can bring out thei.
Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.
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