If there is a food equivalent of wrapping yourself in a cashmere blanket….this is it. Classic, soothing and simple comfort in a bowl.

Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Pancetta

Rich and smooth, this creamy soup delivers

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Welsh

Keyword: comfort food, cool weather, hearty soup, leeks, potato

Servings:

Calories: 397kcal

Equipment

1 6-7 quart heavy bottomed pot
1 Immersion Blender
1 small skillet
1 Cutting board
1 sharp knife
1 Strainer

Ingredients

5 russet potatoes medium size
5 Yukon gold potatoes medium size
4 leeks
2 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp white pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground sage
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp cream cheese heaping
4 oz pancetta
2 32 oz low sodium chicken broth

Instructions

On a large cutting board, remove the green stalks and the ends of the leeks
Slice in half lengthwise. Lay each half flat and roughly chop
Rinse thoroughly with cool water, strain and repeat until the leeks are free of dirt
Peel potatoes
Rinse and coarsely chop potatoes
Rinse and chop 2 stalks of celery
With the flat of the blade, crush the garlic, remove peel and roughly chop
Heat the pot and add a bit of oil (your preference)
Season the leeks generously with salt and white pepper. Sauté the leeks until slightly browned and tender. Add the celery and garlic and cook down on medium heat for about 5 minutes
Add the potatoes and stir gently to keep from sticking. Cook on medium heat for another five minutes or so.
Add all of the chicken broth. Add the dried, ground sage and cover the pot. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
While the soup is cooling, sauté the pancetta until well done in an 8 inch skillet. Drain well on a paper towel lined plate.
With an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. You can also use a food process or regular blender, but I find them to be a little too disruptive to the texture
Once the soup has been blended thoroughly, put back on low heat. Slowly add two cups of heavy cream
Add two heaping spoonful's of cream cheese and stir (or use immersion blender) until fully incorporated. Add nutmeg and check if seasoned to your liking.
Add the pancetta and serve hot

Notes

I use two different kinds of potatoes because of their textures. The russet potatoes tend to mash easily making them lovely and soft, but the Yukon gold, which has a waxier texture keeps the soup from getting grainy. This is just my preference. Feel free to use what works according to your taste.

Season the soup at every stage for best results.