8 cups high quality chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 leeks, white parts sliced and green parts washed and reserved
75 g of double smoked bacon, cut into lardon
4 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup 35% cream
Sour cream and chopped chives for serving
Salt to taste
For the spice bag:
4 sprigs of thyme
5-6 whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Instructions
In a stock pot, add your stock and the washed green leaves from 3 of the leeks and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes and strain.
Meanwhile, in a large heavy saucepan, render the bacon over medium heat. Once rendered, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon leaving the fat in the pan (if you don't have about 3 tablespoons, you can add some butter). Note: If the bacon fat has lots of dark bits left from the bacon, you can strain it through a sieve lined with cheese cloth. This will remove the dark bits and will avoid darkening the color of your soup.
Add the leeks, season well and cook for 5 minutes till softened, making sure that they do not brown.
Add the potatoes cooking for another 5 minutes again making sure they do not brown.
Finally add the garlic, mix well and cook for one minute.
Add the stock and the sachet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove the sachet and off the heat, blend the soup with an immersion blender till very smooth (about 10 minutes). Add the buttermilk and the cream and mix into the soup. Season to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream and some chives.
Recipe by Swine + Wine at https://www.swineandwine.ca/leek-and-potato-soup/