Lightened Potato and Leek Soup

Ingredients

• 2 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 cups water
• 2 cubes vegetable bouillon, or more to taste (Optional)
• 1 teaspoon white sugar (Optional)
• ½ teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
• cracked black pepper to taste
• 5 unpeeled potatoes, diced
• 1 cup low-fat milk

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat, then add the leeks. Cook them gently until they’re nice and soft, which should take about 15 minutes. If the pot looks dry, feel free to add a little more oil. Once the leeks are softened, sprinkle the flour over them and mash it in with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat down to low and let it cook for a couple of minutes.

Step 2

Slowly pour in the water a little at a time, stirring constantly to help the mixture thicken and avoid lumps. Once all the water is in, add the bouillon cubes, sugar, chili-garlic sauce, and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium and keep stirring now and then until the soup comes to a boil.

Step 3

Throw in the potatoes, then lower the heat so the soup simmers gently. Let it cook until the potatoes are tender, anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Give it a good stir every 10 minutes or so, scraping the bottom to keep things from sticking.

Step 4

When the potatoes are soft, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s mostly smooth but still has a few lumps here and there for texture. Finally, stir in the milk to loosen it up a bit and warm it through before serving.