When reviewing the simanim for Rosh Hashana, I came across leek and thought, what is leek really known well for? Soup. Pretty much. I mean if you thought of roasted leeks or something, kudos to you, but i thought of plain 'ole soup. It got me really in the mood of a good, flavorful, ultra creamy potato and leek soup without cream.

I gave this soup two special things to bring it over the top. The first thing I did was roast a whole head of garlic and add it to the soup before blending. There is really no other garlicky flavor that can compare to a roasted whole head of garlic. The second thing, was finishing the soup with crispy beef facon and toasted panko crumbs mixed with chopped parsley. A rather simple in technique but next level flavor.

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Ingredients:

For the soup:

Olive oil
Whole head of garlic
Leeks
Onion
Yukon gold potatoes
Vegetable broth
Salt and pepper

For the garnish:

Beef bacon
Panko crumbs
Fresh chopped parsley

How to make potato and leek soup without cream:

Start by preheating the oven to 350F. Slice off the top of the garlic head and place in a small baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
While the garlic is baking, heat the remaining 3 tablespoon of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Saute' the leeks and onions for 15-20 minutes on low heat until they are darkened and caramelized. Add in the potatoes, vegetable stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
Cook the soup for approximately an hour, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
While the soup is cooking, prepare the garnish. Toss chopped beef bacon into a skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium, until golden and crispy. Transfer the crispy beef bacon to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon.
In the same pan, add the panko crumbs and cook stirring until the crumbs are golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and toss with fresh chopped parsley.
When the garlic is ready, remove from the oven and let it cool. Squeeze out the roasted cloves and add it to the soup just before blending. Season blended soup with more salt and pepper as needed.
Garnish the soup with toasted panko crumbs and crispy beef bacon just before serving.

Storing and reheating:

Store potato and leek soup without cream in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost frozen soup, place the container in the fridge overnight for warming. If you forgot to take it out the night before, run hot water over the container to loosen the soup into a pot.

Making the garnish in advance:

Crispy beef bacon and be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days in a heavy duty plastic bag.

The toasted panko crumbs can be stored short term on the counter in an airtight container or in the pantry.

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Potato and leek without cream

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Soup

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

Potato and Leek Soup

4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 head garlic
3 whole leeks, sliced light green parts only
1 large onion, diced
8 medium golden potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
5 cups vegetable stock You may substitute with water, but I prefer vegetable stock for flavor.
2 teaspoon salt add more as needed
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Garnish

4 oz beef facon
½ c panko crumbs
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice off the top of the garlic head and place in a small baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
While the garlic is baking, heat the remaining 3 tablespoon of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Saute' the leeks and onions for 15-20 minutes on low heat until they are darkened and caramelized. Add in the potatoes, vegetable stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
Cook the soup for approximately an hour, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
While the soup is cooking, prepare the garnish. Toss chopped beef bacon into a skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium, until golden and crispy. Transfer the crispy beef bacon to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon.
In the same pan, add the panko crumbs and cook stirring until the crumbs are golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and toss with fresh chopped parsley.
When the garlic is ready, remove from the oven and let it cool. Squeeze out the roasted cloves and add it to the soup just before blending. Season blended soup with more salt and pepper as needed.
Garnish the soup with toasted panko crumbs and crispy beef bacon just before serving.

Potato and leek soup without cream