Pure Comfort

This past weekend was kind of crazy. It started on Friday with a burned-out first grader who had a very rough day at school. We progressed into the weekend with Daddy away at drill, which never goes over well with the little boys. This led to the previously-mentioned first grader, not wanting to go to bed, i.e., stalling, getting back out of bed, etc., etc. Thrown into the mix was a 3-year old having nightmares and waking up throughout the night. On Saturday night, after a particularly vicious nightmare, Griffin crawled into bed with me, snuggled right up, and about an hour later, wet the bed (yes, all over his mother). So, by the time Monday rolled around, we were all over-tired and a bit on the cranky side.

Like most people, I find potatoes very comforting, so I thought I'd make a pot of potato soup in an attempt to soothe my weary soul. I cracked open Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and settled on Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup). It couldn't get any easier than this:

~1 lb. peeled potatoes, diced
~1 lb. thinly sliced leeks including the tender green (leeks can be pricey, so you can also use 1 lb. of onion, thinly sliced/diced)
~2 quarts of water
~ 1 tbsp. salt (I used 1/2 tbsp. because I don't like things overly salty)

Simmer the potatoes, leeks, water, and salt, partially covered for 40-50 minutes until vegetables are tender. Mash the vegetables with a fork or run through a food mill.

**I actually prefer a smooth potato soup, so I put the soup, in two separate batches, into my blender. I quickly pulsed it 4-5 times, just enough to barely puree the mixture. Make sure to only fill your blender half way if you use this method, because the hot liquid will expand.

Right before you are ready to serve, stir in 6 tbsp. whipping cream, or 3 tbsp. of butter. I decided to use 3 tbsp. of whipping cream, and one tbsp. of butter, just to be crazy.

The result, a no-frills, completely comforting soup with delicious flavor. While I did serve it the day I made it, it tasted so much better the next day, and it was quite a bit thicker as well. If you like potato soup, this is an easy, delicious recipe - - one that I will make over and over.