Creamy Potato and Leek Soup

Those of us here in Texas understand what it feels like for the weather to be 85 degrees one day, and then 35 degrees the following day (then probably 85 again the third day). Now, I don't know about you guys, but when those cold days do roll in, I crave some serious comfort food; usually in the form of a nice, hot bowl of soup. 

This creamy, potato-ey soup really hits the spot when that cold front decides to roll through; even if it is only for a four hour period. It's super simple, has limited, easy to find ingredients, and comes together very quickly and in one pot (a huge plus if you're like me and handwash your dishes because the dishwasher never can seem to clean them anyway). 

Now, here are a couple tips before we get started. 

We'll start with cashew soaking. It's a pretty crucial step unless you have a super fancy blender. Soaking the cashews helps to soften them and therefore gives you a smoother, creamier sauce. If you are unlike me and can manage to remember to soak the cashews overnight, you'll end up with an even easier to blend, probably even smoother sauce. I probably soaked these for four hours before making the cream and it turned out awesome. The cashew soaking is the only thing that requires pre-planning; and if you're able to toss some cashews in a bowl of water before heading to work, you've already one step ahead of the game. 

The next thing I want to address are the leeks; specifically, cleaning the leeks. If you've never cooked with leeks before, they can hide a lot of dirt. I've found the most effective way to clean them is detailed here. 

Alright, here's the super simple and delicious soup adapted from another one of the wonderful Isa Moskowitz's recipes. 

Creamy Potato and Leek Soup

Ingredients for soup:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large leek - white and light green parts - sliced thin
• 1 small yellow onion - diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds yellow potatoes - peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme - rubbed between your fingers
• Several pinches of freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth

Ingredients for cashew cream:

• 1/2 cup cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
• 1 1/2 cups water 

First, heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot and sauté the leeks and onions with the salt for about 10-15 minutes.

While the leeks and onions are cooking, prepare the rest of the soup ingredients; peel and dice the potatoes, and gather the spices and vegetable broth. Make sure to periodically stir the leek/onion mixture! 

Your onions and leeks should be soft and golden by now. Add the rest of the soup ingredients - potatoes, vegetable broth, thyme and pepper - and cover the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. 

While the soup is cooking, drain the cashews and blend together the cashew cream ingredients. It might take a couple minutes to get a smooth cream depending upon your machine. 

It ends up looking like this milk-like substance:

After the potatoes are tender, use a potato masher to mash up the potatoes until the soup is creamy. Mix in the cashew cream and heat through. Taste for salt and you're done!