Hearty Potato and Leek Soup

Submitted by breezermom

"This soup is really good in the fall, when the weather is turning cool. If you want to make it lighter, leave out the sausage and white beans. Prep time does not include soaking the beans overnight."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 35mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb dried white bean
• 1 lb andouille sausage (if you can't find Andouille, any smoked sausage will work)
• 2 lbs leeks
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 4 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon creole seasoning
• salt
• pepper
• 1⁄2 cup butter

directions

1. Wash and sort the beans the night before. Place them in a pot and cover them with 2 inches of water. Let them soak overnight (or all day if you are preparing for dinner).
2. Pour the soaking water off the beans and then add water to cover by at least 1 1/2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. While the beans are cooking, trim the leaks and wash with cold water, being careful to wash away the dirt deep in the tops. Slice the leeks in half lengthwise and chop into 1 inch pieces.
4. In a large stockpot melt the 6 tbsp butter and cook the leeks on medium-low heat until tender.
5. Sprinkle the flour over the leeks. Cook for 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high and stir in the chicken stock.
6. Add the potatoes, sliced sausage, cooked white beans, and creole seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes and beans are tender. Use a paper towel to absorb any grease from the sausages that has accumulated on the top of the stockpot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Taste first -- the sausage will add some salt to the soup) If desired, add the remaining stick of butter before serving. (I usually skip this).

Reviews

[Annacia]

I used 1/2 of the ask for beans and used veggie "sausage" to lose the sat fat. The potato was left a bit on the chunky side. It made a delicious and very filling soup for lunch today. Two thumbs up.

 

[Deantini]

If you omit the beans, sausage and extra butter at the end you will cut back 50% on the calories. Also, the serving size is generous. I cut the recipe back to 1/4 and have a yield 3-4 large bowls and this without the beans and sausages. The consistency is creamy and I cooked the soup until the potates were just done but still somewhat firm. Really delicious lunch today! Made for PRMR tag.

 

[duonyte]

I made just the potato and leek part, as I did not want to bother with soaking beans, etc. This made a really nice soup with my grilled ham and cheese sandwich for lunch today. Because I did not have enough homemade stock, I used 2 cups of chicken broth and added a cup of water (for half the recipe). I cleaned the leeks by trimming them, cutting down the length and then into pieces, and tossing them into a big bowl of water. I then separated the sections into their layers and swirled everything around. Let is stand a few minutes, and any grit and dirt sinks to the bottom, leaving the clean leeks floating on top. I would probably add a bay leaf and some peppercorns next time, and perhaps a little sliced carrot for color.