POTATO LEEK SOUP

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Potato Leek Soup is a cooking school classic: simple, humble ingredients combined with a few classic techniques. This is a great soup for a cool night. If you want to lighten things up, leave out the milk and cream at the end of cooking since the Yukon Gold potatoes are full of flavor.

Yukon Gold potatoes are medium-size, round potatoes with delicate, yellow-colored skins. Their excellent creamy texture is naturally yellow, giving them a subtle “buttery” flavor. Formerly available only to chefs, Yukon Gold potatoes are now available in most markets and grocery stores for the home cook to enjoy. Yukon Gold potatoes are truly versatile, wonderful for baking, boiling, frying, mashing, and puréeing for soups.

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

3 celery stalks, finely diced

5 leeks, white parts only, well washed and thinly sliced

4 shallots, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 cups homemade chicken stock or reduced-fat, low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup milk (optional)

½ cup heavy cream (optional)

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Make a bouquet garni by wrapping the bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, parsley, and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tying it with a piece of kitchen twine.

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the celery, leeks, shallots, and garlic. Cook until soft but do not brown, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, stock, and bouquet garni. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.

• Using an immersion blender, purée the soup. Leave it coarse and chunky if you prefer a more rustic soup, or purée it completely smooth for a more elegant soup. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can purée the soup in a regular blender before pouring back into the pot.) Slowly add the milk and cream, if desired. Return to the saucepan and warm the soup over medium-low heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.