Potato Leek Soup
Crossposted to my own journal.
This is a variant of a recipe by Rachael Ray. Very simple soup. And the ham mentioned is the kind you get in the little solid packages? This soup is especially good with some warmed and buttered ciabatta bread. You can get the ham, the ciabatta bread, and the chicken stock without any nasty additives at your local Whole Foods or Wild Oats.
4 leeks
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 regular all-purpose potatoes
6 cups chicken stock
3 quarter inch slices of ham
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
Cut the tough parts of the leeks off, leaving about 3" of green on the stalk. Cut them lengthwise and then chop them into 1/2" pieces. Separate the pieces into a colander and run cold water over them to clean them, then drip-dry well. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized soup pot and add bay leaf and leeks on medium to medium-high heat. Peel and slice potatoes very thinly, adding each to the soup as you go. Pour in the chicken stock and cover with a lid, bringing to a boil. Uncover and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. Chop the ham into small chunks and heat with a little bit of oil in a pan until slightly browned. After the soup has simmered, remove the bay leaf, add the ham, stir, and salt to taste.