Leeks can be a bit of a pain – oftentimes they’re expensive, and then you have to deal with how dirty they are. You really need to slice them up and then rinse them in several changes of water to make sure you get out all the dirt, grit & bugs that seem to like to hang out inside leeks. Nevertheless, they’re very tasty and provide a great flavor base for this soup.
But if leeks are too expensive or too much of hassle, you can substitute regular onions and/or scallions.
Also, you could use water, but a good stock will make the difference between an ok pot of soup and a very good one.
3 medium-sized leeks, white and about 1/3 of green parts, halved lengthwise and then thinly sliced
About 2 lbs. small red (boiling) potatoes, halved and then thinly sliced
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup half & half or whole milk (you can omit the dairy for a lighter soup)
salt & fresh ground pepper
Heat butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and bay leaves and cook until onions are soft and starting to color a little.
Add stock and a bit of salt and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, then add potatoes and stir. Add more stock or water as needed to make things appropriately soupy.
Simmer for about 25 minutes until potatoes are quite tender. You can remove some of the potatoes, and mash them lightly, then add them back in to thicken up the soup. Don’t use a blender, as I’ve read it can make potatoes gluey (which sounds bad enough that I’ve never risked it).
Add milk or cream, and let cook on low to medium (don’t let boil heavily) for another 5-10 minutes until thickened slightly.
Salt & pepper to taste.

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