Throughout the spring, summer, fall, and winter, this hearty, entrée-level soup beckons to me. In this recipe, bacon lardons, sauteed leeks, boiled potatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese combine to form a decadent soup sent straight from above.I like to serve this piping-hot soup alongside homemade brown bread that has been pre-loaded with extra softened butter on each slice. Buttered bread and soup might sound like a strange combination to the uninitiated…but it’s worth trying from a flavor perspective—please tell me if I’m wrong here!The following recipe makes enough soup for two incredibly hungry, working-class Irishman, or six regular folks.
Ingredients
2large leeks(green sections removed, white sections cut and washed)
2Tbspbutter
2Tbspolive oil
12ozbacon lardons
32ozchicken stock
4sprigs fresh thyme
2bay leaves
4Yukon gold potatoes(washed, peeled, cubed)
8ozheavy cream
2tspKosher salt
2tspsherry vinegar
1cupcheddar cheese(shredded)
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper(to taste)
3Tbspfresh chives(finely sliced)
¼cupsour cream(for serving, if desired)
Instructions
Cut, rinse, and drain the leeks (multiple times if they are dirty).
Heat up the butter and olive oil in a medium-sized soup pot.
Cook the leeks and the bacon lardons very slowly on medium heat for 30 minutes, or until leeks are completely tender and cooked down to soft consistency.
While cooking the leeks and bacon, add a splash of chicken stock if they get too dry.
When the leeks are completely cooked-down, add the remaining chicken stock, bay leaves, fresh thyme, and cubed potatoes.
When the potatoes are completely tender, remove the fresh thyme.
*This should take about forty additional minutes.
Add a splash of sherry vinegar, and season the soup to taste with Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper.
Transfer the cooked soup to a food processor, or use an immersion blender to puree the soup into a relatively smooth consistency.
When the soup has been blended, mix in the heavy cream and cheddar cheese, off the heat.
*Mix until the shredded cheddar cheese is fully emulsified into the soup.
Taste the soup again with the heavy cream and cheddar cheese, and adjust the level of Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, if desired.
If you prefer a thinner soup consistency, you can add more chicken stock. If you prefer a richer soup, add more cheddar cheese or heavy cream.
*Alternatively, for a thicker soup consistency, you can use more potatoes earlier on.
Serve the soup hot, with freshly-sliced chives on top, and perhaps a dollop of added sour cream.
Notes
Any leftovers will taste amazing when reheated, perhaps even better than the original soup!