Recipe Corner: Cream of Potato & Leek Soup with Bacon

We tried this recipe a few years ago and it has become one of my favorites. How could it not be? Potatoes and bacon and leeks, oh my!

Ingredients:
3 medium-size leeks (approx. 1 1/2 lbs)
4 ounces bacon, chopped
1 1/2 lbs medium-size thin-skinned or russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 1/2 quarts fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups milk (2%)
1 cup diced carrots
8 ounces green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
salt

Directions:
Trim and discard the green tops from the leeks, leaving the white and light green parts for the soup. (Using the green part of the leek will turn the soup a disconcertingly green color.) Split the remaining leeks lengthwise and rinse well. Cut leeks into 2-inch matchstick pieces and set aside.

Preheat a 4 or 5 quart pan over medium-high heat. When the rim of the pan is hot to the touch, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until crisp (3-5 minutes). Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Discard the bacon drippings. (Although, really, a little bacon grease never hurt anybody so feel free to leave a little for extra bacon flavor goodness.) Add 2/3 of the leeks to the pan and cook, stirring often, until soft (about 5 minutes).

Peel and dice the potatoes. Add 2/3 of the potatoes to the leeks. You can lessen the browning of the remaining potatoes by placing the diced pieces into a bowl of cold water. You will have to drain any potatoes placed in water before adding them to the soup. Stir in the broth and the milk. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a near boil. (If the heat is too high and the soup boils too aggressively, you might see milk solids appear. These can't hurt you but they do look unappealing.) Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes mash easily (about 10 minutes).

Either transfer the vegetables to a food processor or a blender - if using a blender to process the vegetables, add a small amount of broth - or use an immersion blender and process the soup until the contents are coarsely puréed. Return the veggies to the soup pan. Return the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.

Add carrots and remaining potatoes to the soup (if needed, drain the potatoes first). Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Add beans, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Add remaining leeks and bacon to the pan. Continue to cook until the potatoes and carrots are soft and the green beans are tender-crisp to bite but still bright green (2 to 3 more minutes). Ladle soup into bowls and season to taste with salt.

Serves 8