Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

I love making soup. It's quick, usually foolproof, very cheap and comforting on cold days. Most leek and potato soup recipes that I find lack flavor. They normally contain cream, chicken stock, leeks and potatoes --- no herbs or spices. So, I decided to add what I thought would work well. Thyme and nutmeg go nicely with potatoes. Ginger and red pepper flakes give it a bit of heat. My foot is regretting the ginger addition though. The glass ginger bottle fell from the over-packed cabinet onto my foot. After rolling around on the floor, I recovered and continued to cook dinner standing on one foot. Of course, my daughter was hanging from my shirt saying, "mama mama mama." Making dinner on one foot while holding a toddler was a workout. Today, my husband and I agreed to install a spice rack. Woohoo!

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup Recipe
Serving Size = 2

• 1 leek, chopped into small pieces (I only had 1, but 2 would be better)
• 3 small potatoes, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• Oil

*Note: The red pepper flakes are noticeable in this dish. If you do not like heat, then leave them out.

1. In a medium stockpot, heat the butter and a touch of oil over medium heat. Add the leek and the potatoes, let them cook until they soften a bit. 
2. Add the chicken stock, salt/pepper, thyme, flakes, nutmeg and ginger and let everything cook together for about 20 minutes. 
3. Make sure the potatoes are cooked completely through, then transfer the soup to a blender and puree.
4. Pour back into the stockpot and add the cream, stir and let everything cook together for about 5 minutes.

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