It is winter, it is chilly, and I love to make a good hearty soup. Now this is not a quick weekday dish but for those that are in the cold and want to kill time by making a great soup then this is for you. Potato leek soup was an Amercian tradition but this is not your normal soup. You could add bacon to this dish but since Jen doesn’t like bacon I added crispy shallots. Total time for this soup is about an hour.

Let’s cook!

Roasted Potato and Leek Soup

2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

4 cups chopped leaks, white and green parts

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed

1/2 cup Pinot Grigio

6 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup heavy cream

8 oz creme fraiche

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4 shallots, peeled, and sliced into rings

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the potatoes and leeks in a bowl.

Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Pour the vegetables into a roast pan and spread evenly.

Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking. Time to make the crispy shallots. Heat the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat until it reaches 220 degrees (15 minutes for me).

Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots, and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove the shallots from the pan and let cool on a plate lined with paper towels. Once they have dried you will use them for the soup. You could also use bacon for this.

Back to the roasting, after 45 minutes of cooking add the arugla and toss to combine as best you can. Roast for 5 more minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and place the vegetables in a dutch oven over low heat.

Using the white wine, deglaze the roasting pan and be sure to scrape up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.

Pour the wine and bits to the dutch oven.

Add 5 cups of chicken stock.

Using your handheld immersion blender, puree (if you don’t have one of these tools, you can use your blender or food processor).

Add the cream.

Add creme fraiche.

Whisk to combine well. Add pepper and salt to taste then Parmesan cheese. Cook on low for 5 more minutes.

Time to serve. Here is the soup naked.

Here is the soup dressed with the crispy shallots and grated parmesan cheese.

And the close-up:

Now you have the perfect soup for a cold winter night. If you are a fan of potato soup, then please give this a try.  Even Jen, who is typically not a big fan of vegetables, said this was probably one of the best soups I have made yet!

Happy Cooking!