Okay, so I tried making the California Pizza Kitchen’s Potato Leek Soup today. Here’s how it went down.
First off, getting the ingredients. I hit up my local grocery store. Got the leeks – those were a pain to clean, seriously, all that dirt hiding in the layers. Potatoes, of course, I went with Yukon Golds ’cause that’s what I had on hand. Onion, garlic, some chicken broth, heavy cream (because, why not?), olive oil, butter, salt, pepper. Pretty standard stuff.
Chopping time. I roughly chopped the leeks (after cleaning them like crazy), diced the onion, minced the garlic. Peeled and cubed the potatoes – not too big, not too small, you know? Aiming for even cooking.
Next, the cooking process. I heated up some olive oil and butter in a big pot – gotta have that flavor combo. Sautéed the leeks and onion until they were soft and translucent, maybe like 5-7 minutes. Added the garlic and cooked it for like, a minute, until it smelled awesome. Didn’t want to burn it.
Then, potatoes went in. I stirred them around to coat them in all that leek-onion-garlic goodness. Poured in the chicken broth – enough to cover the potatoes. Brought it to a boil, then lowered the heat and let it simmer until the potatoes were super tender, probably about 15-20 minutes. Kept checking with a fork.
Okay, blending time. I carefully transferred the soup to my blender in batches – hot liquids and blenders can be a dangerous combo, learned that the hard way once. Pureed it until it was smooth and creamy. You could use an immersion blender right in the pot if you have one, I just don’t own one of those.
Finishing it off. Poured the blended soup back into the pot. Stirred in the heavy cream – this is where it gets really decadent. Seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Simmered it for a few more minutes, just to heat it through.
The taste test. I ladled some into a bowl and gave it a try. Honestly? It was pretty damn good! Super creamy, flavorful, and comforting. Needed a little more salt, but that’s just me.
My verdict. I’d definitely make this again. It’s a bit of work cleaning the leeks, but totally worth it. I think next time I might add a little bit of bacon bits on top for some extra flavor and texture.
- Lessons learned: Clean those leeks thoroughly! And be careful when blending hot soup.
- Would I recommend it? Absolutely. It’s a great soup for a chilly day.
