Hey all! I’ve decide to share some recipes here and there and figured it would be fun to pair them with my favorite books. I paired my take on potato leek soup with The Name of the Wind! I could just see the Edema Ruh (a traveling troupe, for those that haven’t read it) sitting around their wagons with a pot of this bubbling over the fire. Perfect for fall! Especially since Kvothe used to go forage in the forest to give his parents some *ahem* alone time. Leeks, potatoes, some broth, and a few extra ingredients and you’re all set. Even better, you can make this vegan or vegetarian very easily by omitting the cream and butter, and substituting the chicken broth for veggie broth! Most Potato Leek soups are purées but I like the texture of some chunky potatoes and sautéed leeks in mine.

Ingredients (will make about 6 bowls, feel free to double if you want more):

•4-5 large leeks, roughly chopped

•1 head of elephant garlic

•6 cups or about 2 lbs of roughly diced potatoes (about one inch pieces or less)

•9 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

•1/4 cup of heavy cream

*2 sprigs of fresh thyme

•2 bay leaves

•1/4 teaspoon of ground sage

•dash of celery salt (ok to omit if you don’t have)

•tablespoon of butter

•drizzle of olive oil

Step one: Cut head off the bulb of garlic, drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt. Wrap in foil and cook at 350 degrees in the oven for about 45-50 mins. While it is cooking, proceed with the rest of the process.

Step two: Sautée the leeks in butter in a large pot until browned. Reserve half and put those ones in blender (don’t blend yet).

Step three: add 7 cups of broth, potatoes, bay leaves, and thyme to the pot with the remaining leeks. Bring to a boil and boil for about 15 mins or until potatoes are soft. Take about a cup and a half of the softened potatoes and add to blender. At this point, garlic should be about done. Take half of roasted garlic for the blender, mash the rest and put in the pot.

Step four: add remaining cups of cold broth to the blender. Blend. While that is happening, take out the thyme stems from the pot. Feel free to remove the bay leaves if they bug you too. Once puréed, mix the purée into the pot. Add the heavy cream. Add sage and celery salt. Bring to a boil once more and then let simmer for at least twenty minutes. It’s even better if you leave it to simmer and thicken for an hour or so. If it isn’t as thick as you like, add cornstarch mixed with cold broth or water. Tastes even better the next day! Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Tip: if you don’t want to use cream, make more purée by using extra potatoes and broth. Also, I love topping with Ritz crackers because they go so much better with this recipe than regular saltines. If you like some spice, top with some jalapeño.