Potato Leek Soup

Potato-Leek Soup Pressure Cooker

Potato-Leek Soup Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

SERVES 4 – Cooker: 5- to 7-quart – Time: 6 minutes at HIGH pressure

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups sliced (about ¾-inch thick) leeks (white and lightest green parts only)
• 3 cups cubed (1-inch) peeled russet potatoes (about 2 large potatoes)
• 4 to 5 cups water or chicken broth, as needed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk, plain yogurt, unsweetened soy milk, half-and-half, or cream
• salt
• minced fresh chives, for serving (optional).

Method

1. In a 5- to 7-quart pressure cooker, melt the butter over medium heat
2. When it starts to foam, add the leeks, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring a few times, until they are aromatic and begin to soften, about 3 minutes
3. Add the potatoes and enough of the water so that it just barely covers the potatoes and leeks; it’s okay if a few potato edges are exposed
4. If you add too much liquid, it will make for watery soup
5. Stir in the white pepper and distribute the potatoes and leeks into as even a layer as possible
6. Close and lock the lid
7. Set the burner heat to high
8. When the cooker reaches HIGH pressure, reduce the burner heat as low as you can and still maintain HIGH pressure
9. Set a timer to cook for 6 minutes
10. Remove the pot from the heat
11. Open the cooker with the Quick Release method
12. Be careful of the steam as you remove the lid
13. Puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender
14. Stir in the buttermilk and heat over very low heat for 2 to 5 minutes to bring back up to a full simmer; do not boil
15. Taste for salt
16. Serve immediately, garnished with chives if you like, or set aside to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in a covered container until cold
17. If you are serving the soup cold, taste it for salt and pepper again before serving, as refrigeration mutes flavors
18. Potato, Leek, and Ham Soup: If you like, substitute the water with Ham Stock but this is optional
19. Add 1 cup chopped celery with the leaves and 1½ tablespoons mustard seeds, crushed, in Step 1 to cook with the leeks
20. Add about 1 cup shredded or diced cooked ham along with the buttermilk in Step 4 to the pureed soup before tasting for salt
21. Potato, Leek, and Spinach or Swiss Chard Soup: Add 1 pound spinach, rinsed well and stems removed, or Swiss chard, leaves separated from the stalk, then chopped, and stalks diced, in Step 1 along with the potatoes
22. Use chicken broth instead of water
23. Potato, Leek, and Cauliflower Soup: Use only 2 potatoes
24. Add 12 ounces cauliflower, broken into small florets and stems removed, along with the potatoes in Step 1
25. Use 3 cups vegetable broth instead of water