Potato Leek Soup

5-6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
~3 lb red potatoes, peeled and cut into small (1/2”) chunks
¼ tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and ground pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil or margarine or butter
3 large leeks
2 garlic cloves, minced

1. Trim and discard the roots and the dark green leaves of the leeks. Slice the trimmed leeks in half (lengthwise), then cut it into ¼ inch pieces. Rinse the cut leeks thoroughly to remove all dirt and sand.

2. Heat the oil (or butter) in a large pot over medium high heat. Stir in the leeks, garlic, and ¼ tsp salt. Cover and cook over medium heat (with occasional stirring) until the leeks are very soft and wilted (at least 10 minutes, but longer is OK)

3. Meanwhile, bring the 5 cups of broth, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, and ½ tsp salt to boil, covered, in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to simmer and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender when poked with a fork.

4. Remove the bay leaves, then transfer ~1/2 of the cooked potatoes along with ~1/2 of the broth to the pot with the leeks. Mash the potatoes against the side of the pot with a large fork to thicken the soup to desired consistency (or use an immersion blender to get a very smooth soup). Add the rest of the broth and potatoes to the pot and bring the soup to a simmer. Add more broth if a thinner soup is desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve