Soup's On: Potato Leek Soup for Spring

By Jacy Wojcik in Food on Jun 10, 2009 9:20PM

If you haven't noticed, Chicagoist likes soup. We don’t limit our soup to the winter months nor do we only eat gazpacho in the summer; sometimes we want a hot, comforting bowl of soup in June. That being said, really heavy and creamy soups don't sound great on the cusp of summer either. (We're complicated people.) So here is a spring version of Potato Leek Soup (adapted from this Epicurious recipe) that doesn't call for any cream, butter or milk, making it a little lighter on our palates.

Ingredients
1 clove of garlic, diced
½ cup diced pancetta
1 tbs olive oil
2 large leeks, chopped (the white/pale green parts)
1 pound of yellow potatoes
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup water
flat leaf parsley and green onions (for topping)

In a medium pot, boil potatoes until slightly soft, then cut into 1 inch cubes. In a separate large pot add olive oil, garlic, and pancetta until lightly brown. Add leeks, cook until soft (cook on med/low heat so they don’t brown). Add broth, water, and potatoes. Cover pot and simmer until potatoes are soft, around 20 minutes. In a small food processor, blend 1 cup of soup. Add back into the pot. Top with parsley and green onions.