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– 6 leeks (5 for the soup, 1 for the garnish) – 3 medium sized potatoes (yukon gold preferrably) – 2 cloves of garlic – 1 tbsp of olive oil – 1 star anise seed – ½ tsp of fleur de sel (French gray rock salt) – 8 Cups of Water
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.
1. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are soft. 2. Taste the broth - add an additional pinch of salt or pepper if needed. 3. *Remove the star anise seed from the broth - you do NOT want to mix the star anise with the immersion blender!* 4. Mix the soup with the immersion blender. 5. (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).
1. For the garnish: 2. Drizzle ½ tbsp of olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. 3. Add the finely chopped leek you reserved for the garnish and a pinch of fleur de sel. 4. Stir frequently and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Add ¼ 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. 5. 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).