Creamy Philly Potato Leek Soup

Creamy Philly Potato Leek Soup

In my 2010 "Another Year in My Kitchen" cookbook that will be mailed to family and friends this holiday season, there will be some background information about leeks.  I decided to expand my culinary horizons and try a vegetable or other food item that I haven't made before and is not a part of my repertory  of recipes.  Last year it was eggplant, this year it is leeks.  Leeks are often referred to as the "poor man's asparagus" and are native to the Mediterranean region. This recipe is one of the recipes I found that we especially liked. 

This soup seems time-consuming, but it was definitely worth the wait.  I was a little worried when I roasted the potatoes and leeks together because it smelled really "onion-y," which makes sense because leeks are part of the onion "family." But the leeks, once combined with cream cheese and the other ingredients, the flavor was much more mild than I expected.  So....the research I did for leeks was very accurate.

• 2 leeks - cut into 1-inch pieces - cut off the darkest green part of leaves and keep the light green and white part (be sure to cut off the "hairy" bottom part of the bulb sections.
• 2 to 3 lbs. golden potatoes - peeled and cubed
• 3 cups water
• 2 tbsp. Extra-Light Virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. dried rosemary
• 1 can chicken broth - you can also use low-sodium
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese - cubed and divided
• PAM

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the leeks and potatoes, olive oil, and rosemary.  Spread over a nonstick baking sheet sprayed with PAM (I had a hard time scraping them even from a nonstick pan).  Bake 40 minutes or until veggies are tender and golden brown - stir occasionally. 

Place water, broth, and 3/4 cup cream cheese in a large saucepan.  Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently with a wire whisk until mixture is well-blended.  Stir in cooked veggies.
Using beaters or a stand mixer (I used my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer) and mix until smooth.  Return to saucepan - bring to a boil.  If the soup is too thick you can add a little water to thin it out.  Serve with remaining cream cheese cubes on top.  Serve with warm bread and a nice Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.