INSTANT POT POTATO LEEK SOUP
I don’t have much to say about leek soup. It is simple, easy to make, don’t cost to much to make and delicately flavored soup. It could me bade on the stove top or Instant Pot.
I like instant pot cooking because its easy and fast. With my busy schedule, pressure cooker is a LIFE SAVER. The more I cook using instant pot the more I love it.
What is a leek?
The mild onion flavor of the leek is perfect for those who prefer delicate flavors. Vichyssoise is a happy marriage between leeks and potato and the gentle sweetness of this luscious soup will tease your taste buds.
Around 3000 BC, leeks were part of the ancient Egyptian diet. Dried specimens and carvings depicting leeks have been found in archaeological sites in Egypt. The Romans helped spread the leek to other parts of the world as they invaded and conquered foreign lands such as Britain.
The seeds of leeks were carried to Australia on the ships of the First Fleet and they are now found growing in many backyard gardens.
Why leeks are good to eat
- Leeks are a good source of vitamins A, C and K (important for helping your blood to clot).
- They also contain minerals such as iron (which is important for red blood cells) and manganese (involved in the regulation of brain and nerve function).
- Leeks are also a good source of dietary fibre.
- Energy – 100 g of leeks supplies 125 kJ.
Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- End Grain Cutting Board (Optional)
- Chefs Knife (Optional)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Garlic Grater (Optional)
Ingredients
- 5 large Leeks Chopped up to the pale green part
- 2 lbs Russet potatoes Cleaned and chopped in to about 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 large Shallot Thinly sliced
- 1 medium Yellow onion Thinly sliced
- 2-3 cloves Garlic Grated
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 3 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 6 cups Chicken or vegetable broth
- ¾ cup Half and half or heavy cream
- 1-2 Bay leafs
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp White or black pepper
- ⅛ tsp Nutmeg Optional
- ¾ tsp Dried thyme
- ½ tsp Dried rosemary
- ½ tsp Ground coriander Optional
Instructions
- First wash and scrub potatoes and surface wash leeks
- Peel potatoes (I hate peeling so I skipped this step). Cut potatoes into quarters lengthwise and cut them into about ½ inch pieces, and set them aside
- Cut off dark green parts from leeks and discard them. All you have left is white and pale green parts
- Cut large stalks in half and thinly slice everything. Throw them into large bowl and wash in cold water slices because leeks known to trap dirt in between layers. Drain all the water and set aside
- Thinly slice shallot
- Thinly slice Onion
- Grate garlic
- Press saute button on medium on your Instant Pot and wait till it says HOT
- Add oil and butter
- Dump all the spices into hot oil and let them blume while siring constantly so they don't burn. By doing this you let oil pull all the flavor out of the spices
- Add shallots and onions and saute about 5 minutes or until soft. DON'T let them brown
- Add drained leek slices and saute them stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until all wilted and reduced in size. Its ok if they brown a bit
- That's how leeks will look like
- Sprinkle flour, mix it through and cook for a minute to get raw flour taste out
- Add about 2 cup of broth to the pot and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Scrape everything from the bottom, these are the tasty bits and add rest of the broth
- Add potatoes
- Put lid on and set venting valve to sealing
- Press CANCEL button and press MANUAL or (PRESSURE COOK button depending on your model) and set timer for 7 minutes. Remember pressure cooker will take about 10-15 minutes to get up to the pressure, so it'll say ON on the screen. When it gets up to pressure it'll starts counting time down.
- When 7 minutes are up then let your pot depressurize naturally for 15 minutes. The timer will count up, and after 15 minutes flip venting valve to vent. If it spits out liquid, close the valve to seal, wait few second and open it again. Be careful DON'T burn yourself. When pressure indicator drops down you can open the lid.
- This is important!!! Use slotted spoon and fiend bay leafs and discard. DON'T bland them
- Add salt and stir and taste.
- Use immersion blender and and blend everything till smooth consistency
- Add half and half or heavy cream and using immersion blender stir it throg. Now at this time all the blended stuff absorbed the salt so unjust agai for salt.
- Let it sit for few minutes and serve topped with chives and sour cream or croutons
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