Potato & Leek Soup

My sis passed me a couple of old recipe books the other day, which I think are more than 10 year old. These books have been lying around the house for quite some time and somehow, I took them for granted. Previously, I had no interest in venturing into western cuisine as I find them a tad too troublesome, too time consuming to prepare. After concocting Pumpkin Soup by fluke, I am hooked on soup.

I made Potato and Leek Soup last weekend to accompany roast chicken and salad. For a balanced meal, you need protein, carbo and fibre. The roast chicken was relatively simple. Just marinate the bird with salt and pepper the night before, stuff onions and green lemon in it. I trussed it, rubbed butter all over it and laid streaky bacon on its back to save me from having to baste the chicken. I roasted the chicken breast down so that the breast meat will not be dry. Bake for an hour at 190 deg.C. Nothing to 'Wow' about, still need some improvement. Peeled of some skin whille removing the charred bacon. The bacon kept the back moist and does wonders to the flavour. Perhaps I should wrap bacon all over the bird? Hmm..



These days I have been making salads without mayonnaise or Thousand Island's sauce. I use yoghurt instead. I cut up some Fuji apples, oranges and mangoes, throw in a tub of Meiji Yoghurt with Aloe Vera bits. Toss with a pinch of salt and juice of half a green lemon, you get a nice salad (I was too lazy to go to supermarket to get greens). Again, nothing to 'Wow' about.



I picked out this soup recipe from 'Book of Family Meals' of Margaret Fulton. I find her instructions simple to follow. In a time where information and recipes are easily available online, I still love to hold a recipe book and go through it page by page. This book must be one of the earliest recipe books that we owned.

Potato & Leek Soup (serves 4)
Ingredients
60g Butter
4 Leeks, sliced
4 Potatoes, medium, sliced
1 litre Chicken Stock
1 Cup Thickened Cream

Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
chopped scallions for garnish (optional)

Method
1) Heat butter in a pot, add leeks and fry for about 10 mins or until softened. Add potatoes to stir fry a while.

2) Add in stock. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Scoop out the potatoes and rub through a sieve. Use a blender to blend the leeks then pass through a sieve. Discard residue.

3) Combine the potatoes and soup mixture into a pot. Add cream and heat through. Do not allow to boil. Season to taste. Garnish if desired.

*Note : Original recipe calls for a pinch of nutmeg and chives for garnish (I didn't have). This soup can be served chilled too.

**Note : Do not use a blender to blend the potatoes though it is easier that way. The potatoes will become gooey (eew~).

IH asked why there was no bread to accompany this soup. Wah.. double dose on carbs, no wonder his waistline is expanding. Look who's calling fatty now? Did I mention that Ah Girl dislikes potatoes? The only potato product she consumed is potato chips, which I occasionally allowed. I thought I could fool her with this soup. I didn't think it tasted/smelled of potatoes at all. Somehow, she detected it and refused to take another spoon of it. Mission failed.