julia's leek and potato soup: potage parmentier

I was thumbing through Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 this morning and got the surprise of my life. The Potage Parmentier I've been making all along, thinking it was still Julia's recipe, has undergone some fairly radical changes over the years.

First of all, she adds no extra herbs to the basic leek and potato soup base - and no stock, either. So all this time, I've been loading the potage with the potent aroma of my favorite herb, thyme. And enriching it with chicken stock AND butter.

No matter: both are wonderful soups! There may be times when you want your Leek and Potato with few seasonings, and others when you prefer a richer bowl .

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking:

1 lb ( 3-4 cups) peeled and diced or sliced boiling potatoes

1 lb (3 cups) washed and sliced leek whites, with a little of the tender green

(by the way, leeks lately have been sandy, so slice the leeks down the middle, fan them out, and rinse well under running water)

2 quarts of water

1 T. salt

Simmer the vegetables in the water and salt for about 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and soft. Mash with a fork or pass the soup through a food mill. Just before serving add:

4-6 T. whipping cream or 2-3 T. soft butter

2-3 T. minced parsley or chives

My version:

1 1/2 cups peeled, sliced white potatoes

1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, well washed, whites only

2 cups light vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups water

1 1/2 t. thyme

Simmer vegetables in the light stock and thyme until soft.

Using an immersion blender stick, puree the soup until smooth.

Add:

about 1/3 cup light cream

1 T. unsalted butter

salt and pepper to taste

Serve with a sprinkle of chives, finely sliced scallions ( green onions), or a stick of trimmed scallions, or some chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

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