Potato And Leek Soup - The chilly days of fall and winter are just the time for soups featuring potato. Hearty and warming, potato soups range from broth-based to those enriched with cream, cheese and butter. Potato starch can be used to thicken soups for a gluten-free diet, and potatoes adapt well to vegetarian and vegan recipes.
Potato And Leek Soup complements the flavors of so many ethnic cuisines by providing an earthy neutral background note. Try one of the following combinations in a basic soup recipe:
- mussamum curry paste, peanut sauce, ginger and cilantro
- cumin, chipotle and cinnamon
- fennel, oregano and parsley
- smoked paprika, ham and apple cider vinegar
- bacon, black pepper and sour cream
- caraway seed and dill
- lemon, green olives and feta
Different types of Potato And Leek Soup can lend a wide variety of texture to soups and stews. Try peeling small waxy new potatoes and cut into 1/4" cubes. Rinse off the residual starch, and then add to simmering broth until just done. Starchier baking potatoes, like Russets, can be peeled, boiled and pureed into a rich, silky liquid with the cooking water and milk or cream. Leftover baked Potato And Leek Soup can be peeled, cut into bite-sized chunks and added in the last-minute of cooking a Tuscan influenced kale and sausage soup. For a different twist on croutons or crackers, top a spicy tomato bisque with crushed potato chips.
Potato And Leek Soup blend well with all the vegetables of fall. Other root vegetables like carrot, rutabaga and parsnip work well in this dish, adding a slight sweetness and a sunny color. Collard greens, kale and chard provide bright contrast and crunch to the creamy give of a bite of boiled potato. Hard winter squash and pumpkin pair delightfully with potato to create hearty stews. Cheese soups are a natural for the addition of potatoes, from mild blends of mozzarella and provolone to assertive blue and goat cheese flavors.
The addition of potato puree well-blended with cream or milk can lighten an overly thick split pea or bean soup. Where water would simply thin out the texture as well as the flavor, potato starch makes a stodgy soup more velvety and adds a layer of complexity to the flavor. Another legume not usually considered is the peanut, which adds protein as well as a rich, savory element to a creamy potato soup. For a creamy comforting meal, Potato And Leek Soup is a delicious answer.