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You'd be surprised how little I cook myself dinner. It's the single lady cooking for one scenario-I am a takeout queen. Recently I wanted soup, and I couldn't find any delivery options that could give me exactly what I wanted (specifically potato leek soup). I know the basic principles of soup making, I bucked up and got the ingredients I needed. I'm an on-the-fly recipe developer. It's all very spontaneous, sometimes I surprise myself. I am not a fan of smoky flavors, but I wanted to give this soup a kick. I thought chipotle chilies would be a great addition to warm it up. It came together so fast, it was delicious, and I was back on the couch watching tv in about half an hour. It reminded me that cooking at home always tastes better than takeout, and I haven't ordered takeout in weeks (true story).
This soup is easily adaptable to make vegan, which I've listed in the ingredients section. Stirring in nutritional yeast to replace the cheddar will give it a cheesy flavor. If you don't like spicy, you can use fewer chipotle chilies and skip the adobo sauce addition. And last but not least, I highly recommend equipping yourself with an emersion blender. If you make a lot of soups, you will use it all the time. It's my favorite piece of kitchen equipment (I also use it for scrambling eggs, making whipped cream, dressings, and the list goes on.)
Details
Recipe
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/ 2 pounds baby boomer gold potatoes (or yukon), peeled
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 leeks, chopped, white portions only
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1-3 chipotle chilies in adobo, minced
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from can)
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock, plus more for for desired consistency
- 1 cup shredded Vermont white cheddar cheese, or ~2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (plus more to taste), plus more for serving
- Shredded vegan cheddar (optional), for serving
- Sour cream or vegan sour cream (optional), for serving
- Fresh chopped chives, for garnish
- Toasted bread (or gluten-free bread), for serving
Method
Step 1
Heat butter and olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, leeks, and celery. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally over low heat, about 15 minutes until vegetables are tender and slightly browned. Stir in garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in chopped chipotle chilies and adobo sauce, about 1 minute. Stir in potatoes, cook together for about 3 minutes.
Step 3
Pour in stock and turn heat up to high to bring to a boil, once boiling reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Step 4
Reduce heat to low. Use an immersion blender to puree soup until completely smooth. Adjust stock to desired consistency.
Step 5
Stir in the cheddar (or nutritional yeast) until melted. Remove from heat and serve in bowls topped with cheddar, sour cream, chives, and bread for dipping.