LEEK, POTATO, & FENNEL SOUP

Leek, Potato, & Fennel Soup image

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oli
4 stalk Leeks - Tender White Parts with Little Green - Thinly Sliced
1 Fennel Bulb - Cored & Thinly Sliced
2 cloves Garlic - crushed
2 Potatoes - large, peeled & chopped into small pieces
3 cups Vegetable Stock
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
4 strips Bacon - extra thick

Steps:

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
Add the sliced leeks, fennel, and garlic along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook without browning - just until the vegetables soften.
Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the potatoes, and stir.
Add the stock, and bring it up to a boil.
Turn down the heat again, and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are all very soft.
Let the soup cool until no longer steaming, and then blend the soup using a hand or stand blender until it has a smooth, velvety consistency.
Season generously with salt and pepper, and stir in the heavy cream (if using).
Cook the bacon in a wide skillet until crisp. Gently reheat the soup, without letting it boil. Ladle the soup into bowls, and crumble bacon and sprinkle over chives, to serve.
You can also cook the bacon first and then substitute bacon fat for the olive oil when cooking the vegetables
You can skip the cream if you're watching the calories, or stir in a couple tablespoons of crème fraîche or Greek yogurt.
This soup can be frozen. If freezing, don't add any cream to it. Defrost, reheat, and then add cream, after which you can readjust the seasoning to your taste.