Potato-Leek Soup & Potato Pancakes

Here's 2 recipes in one post!

The Bay Area was supposed to experience a heat wave this past week. (Granted, heat waves are relative.) So, I thought it might be nice to make a chilled soup. I scanned through my cookbook collection and found a recipe for vichyssoise (a potato & leek soup) in the Joy of Cooking. Below you'll find my adaptation.

Note, that this is a recipe that takes advance preparation because the soup needs to be chilled. Also, you could potentially make this soup and not strain it. But I think it tastes better strained and has a nice, smooth texture.



POTATO-LEEK SOUP

2 tablespoons butter
1 leek, rinsed and thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

1) In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium heat.

2) Add leek and green onions. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes.

3) Add in the potato slices and chicken stock. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

4) Let cool. Puree in batches in a blender until smooth. Pour back into stockpot. Add water and sour cream.

5) Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.

6) If desired, strain soup through a fine sieve (this takes a while). It helps to use a large spoon to help force the mixture through the sieve. Your soup is now ready to serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Ed's 1st Note: If you like, you can also add in a cup of diced cucumber (peeled and seeded) in step #4.

Ed's2 2nd Note: You can also add an additional spoonful of sour cream to each serving of soup.


You'll have a LOT of pulp left, but don't throw it out. A great way to use up the pulp is to make potato pancakes. These will a bit less crisp than recipes that use only grated potatos. But it will have a nice flavor from the leek and green onion.



POTATO PANCAKES

canola oil for frying
1 cup of potato/leek pulp
1 large potato, grated (be sure you also squeeze out as much water as you can)
1 dash of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1) Pour a layer of canola oil into a large skillet. Heat over medium high.

2) Mix the pulp and grated potato together.

3) Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

4) Drop in heaping mounds (about 2 tablespoons) into the frying pan. Flatten the mounds.

5) Fry about 5 minutes per side over medium high heat.

6) When done, place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Makes about 6 - 8 pancakes.