Leek and potato soup - Tessa Kiros

This week, I made a pot of leek and potato soup from Tessa's cookbook 'Apples for Jam'. This soup is simple to make and so delicious. I do add one little ingredient to mine and change two.

Leek and potato soup
2 large leeks, well cleaned and sliced
3 tbsp/45g butter
ground dry flakes garlic
2 tsp/2 theelepels brandy
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 cups/1,5l hot water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
grated nutmeg
about 1/2 cup/80ml Dutch 'halvolle koffiemelk' or half and half
flaked Parmsesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper

Place the clean leeks in a large pan with the butter and cook until glassy. Now add the garlic flakes and brandy allowing the alcohol to cook down. Add the potato, hot water and bouillon and allow to come to a boil. Lower the flame to a simmer and cook 45 minutes until potato is soft. Turn off the heat and grate nutmeg in the soup. Puree the soup (I use a stick blender so that I can puree it right in the pan). Add the half and half to taste. Serve with flaked Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Notes about my changes:
I started using the Dutch 'koffiemelk' to cut back the calories added to this soup by using real cream. I find it works well without sacrificing all the taste but still keeping it low cal. I also do not add salt since I put in two vegetable bouillon tablets which contain salt themselves. I flake some cheese in the bottom of the bowl and then again on the top of the soup.

I served the leftover soup for lunch when a friend came over. It warms up very well and perhaps even develops more flavor the next day.

We had a visitor at lunch. This Speckled Wood (pararge aegeria) butterfly flew into my house and sat on the window. Even though this photo looks like he is outside, he is in the house.

Bon appetit or eet smakelijk!
Heidi