Description
Alton Brown’s potato soup delivers creamy comfort with rustic charm. Rich with bacon, herbs, and perfectly balanced flavors, this soup promises a hearty embrace of warmth you’ll savor down to the last spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound (454 grams) leeks, cleaned and dark green sections removed
- 14 ounces (397 grams) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 1-quart (0.95 liters) vegetable broth
Dairy and Seasonings:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
Garnish:
- 1 tablespoon snipped chives
Instructions
- Meticulously clean and trim the leeks, discarding the tough dark green portions and slicing them into fine, uniform pieces to ensure even cooking and optimal texture.
- In a spacious 6-quart (5.7-liter) saucepan, gently melt the butter over medium heat, then introduce the prepared leek slices along with a precise quarter teaspoon (1.25 milliliters) of kosher salt, allowing them to soften and release their delicate aromatics.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue nurturing the leeks, stirring intermittently, until they transform into a translucent, tender melange, which typically requires approximately 25 minutes of patient cooking.
- Elevate the heat to medium-high and incorporate the diced Yukon Gold potatoes and the full quart (0.95 liters) of vegetable broth, creating a harmonious liquid base that will soon develop rich, complex flavors.
- Once the mixture reaches a vigorous boil, immediately reduce the heat to low, securely cover the saucepan, and allow the contents to simmer gently, enabling the potatoes to become exquisitely tender over roughly 45 minutes.
- Carefully remove the saucepan from the heat source and utilize an immersion blender to transform the soup into a velvety, uniform consistency, ensuring no lumps remain and achieving a smooth, luxurious texture.
- Conclude the preparation by gracefully incorporating the heavy cream, buttermilk, and white pepper, tasting and adjusting the seasoning to your preference, then elegantly garnish with freshly snipped chives before presenting the soup.
Notes
- Simmer leeks gently to coax out their delicate, sweet essence that becomes the soul of this creamy potato soup.
- Yukon Gold potatoes offer a naturally buttery foundation, melting seamlessly into a velvety smooth texture.
- White pepper introduces a subtle warmth that elevates the soup’s complexity without stealing the spotlight.
- An immersion blender transforms the soup into silk-like perfection, eliminating the hassle of transferring hot liquid.
- Fresh chives sprinkled on top bring a vibrant, sharp contrast that cuts through the soup’s rich creaminess.
- Advance preparation allows flavors to marry and deepen, making this soup even more delectable when reheated.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 438
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg