1. Peel, clean and chop the leeks - discarding the dark green tops. 5 of the leeks can be chopped in big pieces, 1 leek, the leek you will use for the garnish, should be chopped in fine half rounds.
2. Peel and quarter the potatoes.
3. Heat the olive oil into a soup pot on medium heat.
4. Add the garlic and the leeks for soup (the 5 leeks).
5. Sautée the leeks for 5 minutes until they start to become translucent. Stir frequently, you don't want them to burn. 
6. Add the fleur de sel.
7. Pour in 8 cups of water and add the anise seed the potatoes.
8. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are soft.
9. Taste the broth - add an additional pinch of salt or pepper if needed.
10. *Remove the star anise seed from the broth - you do NOT want to mix the star anise with the immersion blender!*
11. Mix the soup with the immersion blender.
12. (note you can add an additional 2 cups of water, 1 cup at a time, only if needed. The consistency should be thick but still soup like).
13. For the garnish:
14. Drizzle 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in frying pan over medium heat.
15. Add the finely chopped leek you reserved for the garnish and a pinch of fleur de sel.
16. Stir frequently and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water halfway through to steam the leeks. Careful not to let burn! If the leeks begin to stick to the pan and get dark brown, add a little more water and bring the heat down.
17. Once the leeks are translucent and soft they are done. Taste them sautéed leeks are deliciously nutty and a little sweet! Add a little more salt to taste (if needed).

To serve:

Spoon the Magical Leek Soup into a bowl. Top with a tbsp of the sautéed leeks. Voilà! A restaurant worthy meal that is filling and comforting but also incredibly good for you!

Bon Appétit,

Le Chef's Wife