Leek, Fennel, and Potato Soup

If you wanted a little more ooomf in your leek and potato soup, try this version with fennel. Easy and satisfying, you’ll add this to your weekly rotation in no time.

Yields 4

Tools:

• Chopping board

• Knife

• Large soup pot

• Mandoline (optional)

• Blender

• Sieve 

Ingredients:

• 800ml / 3 1/3 cups of stock 

• 150gm Yukon gold potato (washed, not peeled then sliced thin on a mandoline)

• 400gm leeks (both white and green parts) chopped into 1/4” slices and washed

• 180gm fennel finely sliced (by hand or on the mandoline)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/4 cup Olive oil

• 150gm finely sliced onion

• 2T Nutritional yeast

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• Pea shoots for garnish (optional)

How:

1. Chop the leeks in half and then in 1/4” slices. Add to a large bowl of water and just swirl them around to get rid of the dirt between the leek layers.

2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onions, fennel and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft and add the potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes until starting to soften.

3. Gently lift the leeks from the bowl of water (the dirt should have fallen to the bottom) then add them to the pot. 

4. Mix all vegetables together for a couple of minutes then add the stock and the bay leaf. 

5. Bring to a boil and then simmer low until the potatoes are cooked through: 10-15 mins

6. Taste and season with salt if needed. 

7. Remove the bay leaf (as you don’t want to blend this), and add soup to your blender.

8. Blend it completely, adjusting the seasoning. 

9. Add the Nutritional yeast and blend again to combine. 

10. Stream in 1-2 T of olive oil (this gives it a silkier texture). 

11. Season to your preference and then serve. 

Source: Adapted from Chef Richard Buckley