Leek and Potato Soup

Hopefully I haven't become too predictable with the onset of cold weather, but I'm always craving a satisfying bowl of soup that warms me up from head to toe. After going for a run in Central Park yesterday (I know, what's happening to me?!), I already knew I wanted to make soup for dinner. I tend to gravitate towards soups that are, at their core, veggies and broth that I can blend up into a thick soup with my immersion blender. I found this recipe for leek and potato soup that I knew would hit the spot!

Sticking with my resolution to use new ingredients, this was the first time I've cooked with leeks! The leek and potato mixture made our apartment smell amazing as they were cooking down. I still need to figure out what I can to do with the leek tops since I have a lot left over that I don't want to waste. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

While the veggies and broth were simmering, Matt caramelized the mushrooms (another resolution to cook together more often!). We both forgot how much they cook down so we only had enough for our two bowls of soup. Luckily I forgot to buy more butter for another recipe so I was able to pick up some more at the grocery store so we don't miss having these with our bowlfuls today!

We blended the soup smooth, not leaving it chunky as this recipes suggests - whichever you prefer will still produce a delicious soup! We added a generous amount of salt and pepper to really bring out the flavor from the veggies.

Each bite of this soup was the perfect mixture of flavors and textures. The soup itself was creamy, with hints of citrus from the lemon juice. The mushrooms were perfectly caramelized and gave the soup some chewiness and a great earthy flavor. The creme fraiche cooled the soup down a bit, and the green onions (I already had some in the fridge so I used them instead of chives) offered a little crunch and just the right amount of raw onion flavor without overpowering the dish. I would make this soup again in a heartbeat!