A Soup Through Thick and Thin

A change of potato for better soup + A lively California Sparkling wine

Thank you so much for reading Californiavore. If you are enjoying what you are reading, please consider sharing with a friend who might also like a dose of California sunshine. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe (it’s free!) so you never miss a recipe, story, or wine recommendation.

We went down like dominos. First my husband, then me, finally our son. The sun is still too warm on my skin and the days too long to be spending all day indoors. Yet that is where we have been, curtains drawn, watching movies and napping, downed by a triple crown of ailments – cold, stomach flu and pneumonia.

This past week it has taken a lot of effort to do more than simply reheat a bowl of soup. Luckily, these days I almost always have a batch of potato leek soup at the ready, as comforting warmed as it is simply nourishing cold, right from the fridge.

That potage parmentier, as the French call it, has become a staple in my diet is a small miracle. To begin with, I don’t like potatoes. Rather, I’ve realized, I don’t like russet potatoes (apologies to my Idahoan grandfather and mother), those over starchy tubers that form the base of nearly every potato chip, fry, gratin and mashed potato that graces a table. I once had a very glamorous friend, born in Pennsylvania, nearly choke on her Champagne when I told her that I didn’t like mashed potatoes. “That’s practically un-American.”

Yet I have had many an opportunity to peel a potato. In my early twenties, I attended what was then called The French Culinary Institute in lower Manhattan. The school that launched the careers of chefs from Bobby Flay to David Chang, was based on the fundamentals of French cooking as set out by Escoffier over one hundred years earlier. In our second phase of the course, we were asked to make and make again thirty-one recipes deemed essential. Among these recipes was potato leek soup. I haven’t made it since - until recently.

The reason for my change of heart was quite simply a change of potato. About a year ago we started to receive a regular box of vegetables from a local farming cooperative. Like many people who get CSA boxes, we sometimes find ourselves with items we aren’t used to cooking with regularly. I don’t think I would have chosen to receive those Yellow Finn potatoes the first time, but there they were, and I needed to do something with them. As Escoffier had drilled into me all those years ago, a vision of sliced leeks and potatoes simmered and blended into a creamy, wholesome soup danced in my head.

The Yellow Finn is a waxy potato, similar to a Yukon Gold. As the name implies, the interior of the potato is a dark yellow with a flavor that is rich and buttery when cooked. I could have peeled the potatoes but the thin skin is perfectly edible. To save myself some work, I just cut them in quarters. It would all go in the blender anyway. After sautéing some sliced leeks in butter and oil, adding a bit of salt and pepper, and water to cover, I was twenty minutes away from lunch.

I like that this soup is endlessly adaptable. It can be a home for straggler leaves of kale, chard, or even salad lettuce. You can amp up the French factor and add in a healthy dose of cream at the end or go full California cleanse with several handfuls of bright green baby spinach and some parsley. This soup is decidedly not fancy, that’s what makes it a classic, the friend that is there for you, as good friends are, through thick and thin.

Eating off of a beautiful dish always makes me feel better. This lovely bowl is hand thrown, hand painted from Gaya Ceramic in Bali. If you are in Ubud, check out their design studio to find a beautiful dish to take home for your next bowl of soup.

Recipe

Simplest Potato Leek Soup

• 1 T. butter

• 2 T. olive oil

• 2 large leeks, white and yellow part only, about 2 cups sliced

• 1 lb. Yellow Finn or Yukon Gold Potatoes

• 8 cups (1 L.) water or stock

• Salt and pepper

Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut leek in half lengthwise and clean under running water to remove the dirt between leaves. Trim and discard the root end then slice each half crosswise (you don’t need to be too precise on this part as it will all end up in the blender, just try to keep the slices about the same thickness so they cook evenly). Sauté for 5 – 10 minutes until softened but not browned.

While leeks are cooking, wash potatoes and cut into quarters (you can peel the potatoes first if you prefer, but if using waxy potatoes like Yellow Gold, you can cook peel on).

When leeks are soft, add water or stock and potatoes along with some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes until a knife easily pierces the potato.

Working in two batches, puree the soup, placing the first blended batch in a bowl while you do the second batch. Return the pureed soup to the pot. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper if desired.

Variations

There are as many ways to doctor this soup as there are random straggler vegetables in your refrigerator. Here are a couple of my favorites, probably because I’m always overeager buying kale, never quite using the last leaves and ditto for those giant boxes of baby spinach.

… with Kale

Remove the stems and woody spines from several leaves of kale. Roughly chop. Add to the soup at the same time as the potatoes. After blending, give it a taste. If the kale is stringy, run the soup through a fine meshed sieve or colander to remove any unwanted roughage.

… with Spinach

Just before the potatoes are done, throw in a couple of handfuls of spinach. Cook for no more than 3 minutes, just until the leaves wilt. Proceed with blending as per the recipe.

… Frenchify

After blending, add 1/3 cup heavy cream to the soup. Bring back to a simmer and serve immediately.

To Drink…

Water! Only half kidding. Five days off wine was the longest I’ve gone since I was pregnant. But now a bottle to celebrate health.

Sparkling St. Laurent, Cruse Wine Co., Carneros, California 2022

Michael Cruse has been leading the new sparkling wine scene in California since launching his ultra-exclusive bubbly, Ultramarine. But you don’t need to be on the long wait list for that bottle to get your hands on one of his other creations. Loving this bright and fruity pét-nat. Melon with herbs reminds me of eating a cantaloupe salad with fresh basil. If you could have bottled the end of summer, this is what it might taste like. I’m going to be enjoying this fun, lightly fizzy bottle with my husband remembering how good it is to be alive and well. Santé!

$32 direct from the winery