An Ode to Alison Roman’s Potato Leek Soup
SOUP: I’m writing it in capital letters because it genuinely makes up a very large part of what I eat in a week. I absolutely love soup, and I would much rather have a bowl of reheated soup from yesterday for breakfast ten times over than any standard breakfast food (granola, oatmeal, toast). Especially during these colder months, I cook a pot of soup at least three times a week, and Alison Roman’s potato leek soup is one of my absolute favorites.
Alison Roman’s potato leek soup. It’s a soup with quite a cult following; the soup that became known under her ladle (and pen) as the ultimate PLS (Potato Leek Soup). Earlier crazes she sparked included ‘The Stew’; a hyper-popular chickpea stew, and simple but brilliantly delicious chocolate chip cookies (with the recipe here!). But back to that soup…
Step away from the immersion blender
Because until I started making this recipe, I thought potato leek soup was just meh. I would never have thought to leave the immersion blender aside, and I found all the other puréed versions pretty mediocre too. Yes, thick and delicious, but also booooring, and potato-y, with every bite tasting the same. So I still find it rather astonishing that a soup made with such humble ingredients managed, through La Roman’s intervention, to work its way into the highest ranks of my favorites. But I’m very grateful for it.
Peels are allowed
What makes it so special? I don’t even know exactly, but what I do is leave some of the (organic) potatoes unpeeled (though I do scrub them thoroughly, of course). It’s always fun to put your own spin on a recipe and make it even more your own. Not peeling them may result in a few loose bits of skin in the soup, but oh well, the whole soup is full of pieces anyway (delicious!) and they bring so much flavor…
Best of both worlds
I think part of the appeal also comes from the ’mashed-potato-ness’ of this soup; it’s essentially a kind of very delicious stamppot, mixed to a perfect soup consistency with a powerful broth; simply scrumptious.
Hearty yet fresh
In addition, thanks to the simple addition of vinegar and sour cream, the soup is not only hearty and warming but also fresh, wonderfully green and herby, and spicy from the dill and scallions. You can cook some leafy greens in it, add toppings such as salmon or bacon bits, or keep it vegan by leaving out the dairy—in short: head over to Alison’s website as soon as possible, where you’ll find her potato leek soup recipe (which, in my eyes, is perfection)!
Also read:
- Recipe for incredibly delicious chicken with anchovy butter
- Recipe for a very quick fish stew with olives
- This is the most delicious split pea soup from the supermarket
