Potato Leek Soup (Julia Child's) Potage Parmentier

By Grammie926

For a more delicately flavored soup, sub in water for the vegetable stock. This may sound blasphemous, but I felt the original recipe was missing a certain spark. A few modern upgrades (amended in the following recipe) were just the trick. The resulting soup is velvety and immensely soothing and would make for an excellent first course for a Julia-themed dinner — or any French meal, for that matter.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed oil
• 4-5 medium russet potatoes (1 pound), peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 large leeks (1 pound), cleaned, and thinly sliced
• 6 cups vegetable stock (or light chicken stock)
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup crème fraiche
• 1/3 cup minced parsley or chives

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large (6+ quart) stockpot or dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the leek and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have begun to soften and brown slightly, about 8-12 minutes (this time will vary greatly depending on the surface area of the bottom of your pot).

Add the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Blend until smooth either using an immersion blender, or by carefully transferring to a blender in batches.

Add the cream, and season to taste with salt (I start with 1 teaspoon and go from there, tasting frequently) and lemon juice.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche, and a healthy sprinkling of minced parsley.