There sure is a chill in the air!

I am pretty confident that My Michael is going to build a roaring fire this weekend, and we will gather around it and watch football. Obviously.

I  just made a big stockpot of this Potato soup. My Michael and the boys are going to love it.

I hope that you do.

Cozy up. Soups on!

Mary’s Potato Leek Soup

What You Need

• Eight Russet potatoes, peeled and  quartered
• Ten cups of chicken stock (or enough to generously cover the potatoes in the pot)
• Two tablespoons of butter
• Four leeks (whites only), thoroughly washed and chopped
• Three bay leaves
• Two cloves of garlic
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Two teaspoons of fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream (warmed)
• 1 cup of milk (warmed)

(optional, for garnish)

• Fresh chopped chive
• Fresh chopped parsley
• Good olive oil
• Six slices of cooked chopped bacon

What To Do

• Put the chicken stock, potatoes,  and bay leaves in a large pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Boil until the potatoes are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a saucepan, heat the butter, add the leeks and saute until tender.
• Add the garlic and, after a minute, transfer the leeks and garlic into the potato mixture.
• Remove the bay leaves.
• Season with Kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste.
• Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes or so.
• Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. Blend it in batches, until smooth.
• Pour the soup into a medium pot; add the nutmeg, cream and simmer until the soup has thickened, about 20 minutes.(If it becomes too thick, simply dilute it with some chicken broth
• Serve into a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh chopped chive and crumbled bacon.
• Serve right away.

Sparkle on.