Loaded Baked Potato Leek Soup Recipes

ROASTED POTATO LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over 2 burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.
• In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, creme fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.
• When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan and crispy shallots, if using.
• Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are a rich golden brown. The temperature should stay below 260 degrees F. Stir the shallots occasionally to make sure they brown evenly. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain well, and spread out to cool on paper towels. Once they have dried and crisped, they can be stored at room temperature, covered, for several days.

CREAMY LOADED POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes: Add the cubed potatoes to a pot of salted boiling water and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. You can alternatively bake them in the oven at 425 F degrees for about 45 minutes until fork tender.
• Cook the bacon: Cook the bacon until crisp, then crumble into small pieces or cut it first into small pieces then fry. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve 2 tbsp of the rendered bacon fat and discard the rest.
• Saute veggies: In a large Dutch Oven or soup pot add the bacon fat and onion; cook the onion until soft and translucent, should take about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic. Stir in the dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Make the soup: Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir. Cook for about one minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. Add the chicken broth a cup at a time, stirring to remove any of the lumps as necessary. Once all the broth has been added, add in all the heavy cream. Bring to a boil.
• Finish the soup: Add the cooked potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. The soup should thicken nicely. Stir in half the bacon bits and reserve the other half for topping over the soup. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
• Serve and add toppings: Spoon into bowls, top with remaining bacon and load it up with your favorite toppings.

LOADED POTATO-LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Finely chop white portion of leek. Cut leek greens into thin strips; reserve for topping. In a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker, combine potatoes, cauliflowerets, seasonings, broth and chopped leek. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until vegetables are tender., In a small skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add reserved leek greens; cook 3-5 minutes. Puree soup using an immersion blender. Or cool soup slightly and puree in batches in a blender. Stir in lemon juice. Top with leek greens and, if desired, sour cream.

POTATO LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so as not to brown.
• Add the potatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
• Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches; see note.) Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it's too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
• Note: If using a standard blender to purée the soup: be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dishtowel to allow the heat to escape; and pour blended soup into a clean pot.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in potatoes and green onions. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately, garnished with green onion, cheese and bacon, if desired.

BAKED POTATO & LEEK SOUP WITH CHEDDAR & BACON

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes, pat dry, and pierce several times with a fork. Set them directly on the oven rack and bake until very tender, about 1 hour. Let cool completely on a cooling rack.
• *Cook's Note: Sharp cheese works well in this soup because it melts smoothly. Extra sharp will give you a more pronounced flavor but because of the lower moisture content, the soup will be less smooth.

POTATO SOUP FOR A CROWD OF 50

Steps:

• Peel 5 pounds potatoes and cut into small dice. Cover with 3 quarts water, add 2 Tablespoons salt and 1 Tablespoon monosodium glutamate, and cook, covered, until the potatoes are mushy. Whisk or beat until the mixture forms a puree.
• Meanwhile, chop 3 pounds onions. Melt 1/2 pound butter or margarine in a heavy pan, add the chopped onions, and cook, stirring often, until golden. (Do not allow the onions to brown.) Sprinkle with 1/2 cup flour and cook, stirring, for a few minutes.
• Heat 4 quarts milk and add gradually to the onion mixture, stirring. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Combine the sauce with the potato puree. Heat well.
• Add 2 cups cream and heat gently (or use all milk or undiluted evaporated milk). Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and a little white pepper. Finely chop fresh chives or scallion greens to make about 1 cup. Serve the soup with a ladle, about 3/4 cup to a portion, and sprinkle each serving with about 1/2 teaspoon chopped chives. Serves 50 or more.
• The Complete Potato Cookbook.