Baked Potato & Leek Soup with Cheddar & Bacon

2 medium russet potatoes
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cup ssliced leeks (about 2 medium leeks; white and light green parts) rinsed well
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups homeade or low-salt canned chicken broth
4 thick slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup gated sharp cheddar
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens or chives

Heat the oven to 475 degrees F. Clean the potatoes in water, pat dry, and poke them in several places with a fork. Set them directly on an oven rack and bake until very tender when pierced with a fork,about 1 hour or so. Let cool completely.

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until leeks are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon bits with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain off the fat.

When the potatoes are cool, cut one of them in half length-wise. Use a large spoon to scoop the inside flesh in one piece from each half. Cut the flesh of the into ½ inch cubes and set aside.

Coarsely chop the potato skin and the entire remaining potato and add to the pot with the leeks. Puree the contents of the pot in a blender until very smooth (you’ll need to work in two or more batches) Clean out the pot, return the pureed soup to it, and reheat over medium-low. Whisk together the milk and sour cream until smooth and then whisk this into the soup, along with ½ cup of the Cheddar. Stir in the diced potato. The soup should should be fairly thick, but if it seems too thick, thin with some water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with the remaining Cheddar, the bacon bits, and scallions or chives.

This recipe is adapted from The Best of Fine Cooking Comfort Food. So I’ve never really worked with leeks before. I have seen them a handful of times at the grocery store but never really had the chance to work with them. I followed the recipe with one minor adjustment. I added a little bit more salt than the recipe called for. HUGE mistake!!! I don’t know if the leeks are already salty but usually when I use potatoes in a recipe or at all I tend to over salt it. Something about potatoes require me to add a little more salt than usual. But DAMN!!!!! This was really salty after I was finished. But with my creative ingenuity I saved the day. I added a little more water in the end to thin it out and it worked great. A pretty good soup that I served with some French bread that was a real comfort as I was sitting on my couch watching television on a cold winter night. Try it out. See ya next time!!!!