Potato Leek Soup

October. Besides halloween, there is not much to look forward to. And for those of you who are in school up here in good ole Canada (eh?), October seems to be the month of....dum dum dum duuuummm.....midterms.

Studying and writing midterms, completing assignments AND still going to class all at the same time seems to make my head spin. No to mention the expansion of my waist line due to all the late night pizza orders and sugar rush from candy and pop.

Determined NOT to fall into my usual pattern of sugar highs and hard core crashes, I needed to stay on top of my eating habits (at least TRY to) and eat some REAL food. And if that means taking a study break to make some food then so be it. Some people would call that procrastination, I call it .....who are we kidding... it is procrastination. Just like how I am procrastinating from studying right now to write this blog post... dam.



So my go-to warm up your belly, feel good about eating it because it is not bad for you, easy to make in a pinch but still impress your friends recipe is Gina's Skinny Taste Potato Leek Soup. I made a big pot of this and shared it at my study group this weekend.

I must recommend following this recipe exactly. It is quite delicious and you won't be disappointed. I have tried altering it, making it my own and adding some flare, but I still go back to the original.

At a time of high stress and little patience, I think it is important to have one stable thing that you can rely on. Thus I found it important to share old faithful with you.

Gina's SkinnyTaste Potato Leek Soup
- with a few MINOR variations
Find the original here

- 1 bunch of leeks
- 1 Garlic clove
- 1 onion chopped up
- 2 Russet potatoes (I have used Yukon Gold and it is a decent substitute)
- 1 Tbsp of flour
- 1 Tbsp of butter
- 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
- Spoonful of sour cream on top (optional)

Wash and chop your leeks. Cube potatoes - I leave the skin on and just wash them really well, but this can offer a bit of a gritty texture depending on the potato. I don't mind it because I know that the skin offers a lot of flavour and nutritional value.

In a large pot, melt butter then add flour. Mix together well and let cook for a few minutes until the flour cooks out. It is okay if it looks a wee bit brown - this will add flavour.

Add leeks, onion and garlic and saute for approximately 5 minutes until translucent. Add potatoes and top with stock. Let simmer for approximately 20 minutes on medium or until the potatoes are for tender. Use an immersion blender to blend soup until it is smooth.

Gina adds milk here to make it creamy, but I don't think it even needs. But depending on the stock you used, you may need to add salt and pepper. So just taste it and adjust it to how you like.

Sometimes if I am feeling naughty and have it on hand, I put a big spoonful of sourcream on top in my bowl. But again it is not necessary.

Happy Studying =)