Make this Baked Potato Soup with Leeks and Cheese and garnish it like you would a baked potato; with sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, and more leeks.
I should have a category for dishes like this Baked Potato Soup with Leeks and Cheese. There are times when a quick glance in the fridge is all the inspiration I need and the other day it was a day with two leftover baked potatoes and a couple of nice size leeks...next thing you know I'm on a mission to make some soup.
We are truly in soup weather in Denver; we've had more snow this past week then November thru January combined. No complaining from me though; we need snow in winter to have adequate water in summer for all of the yards that need automated sprinkler systems to stay green. And my perennial gardens...sometimes it does seem like a vicious cycle but it's simply semi-arid living.
So soup it was and was it yummy! The leeks are sauteed with garlic and cooked further in chicken broth before being combined with milk, sour cream and cheese. Add to that some cubes of baked potato and it was divine; it really was reminiscent of a baked potato made with those toppings but in a smooth, creamy variation.
If you follow this blog, you know I give so much food away. I'm cooking for one now and while I love leftovers, enough is enough. But I also plan ahead...so when I made a baked potato last week, I purposely made two additional; no sense in running even my countertop oven multiple times for three potatoes. Those I kept. Thankfully.
What I did not give away was any of this Baked Potato Soup with Leeks and Cheese. I thought of it, I did...but I also loved that I would have another meal already prepared in the fridge and I waffled. The deal was solidified because I simply loved it...don't hate me but I didn't want to share!
I should make more for my friend Amy though...it is the perfect gluten free meal. So rich and creamy and not one gram of flour to be found. The potatoes and cheese that are blended into the base thicken it quite nicely and I actually had to add a bit more water to get the right consistency.
I do wish I lived close enough to my daughter to bring her my leftovers. After vowing to never marry or have kids; she has done both in the past three years and gave birth to my first grandchild this past Saturday; adorable little Eli. I want to take all of them everything but I have to wait; Charlotte and Denver aren't exactly close. Kids should not be allowed to move away!
Anyway, back to the task at hand, I have included a list of garnishes in the recipe and they include sour cream, some additional cheese, bacon bits, and a bit more of the sauteed leeks. You have to remember that for any recipe I decide to share on this blog that I have to make dishes look as appealing as they taste; so sometimes a garnish on soup is more important for photos than taste.
You don't really need the extra sour cream or cheese, but the bacon bits and leeks are nice. Bet you won't share either!
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