Potato and Leek Velouté

The potato and leek velouté is a comforting and creamy dish, perfect for cold days. Here is an Italian version of the dish.

Ingredients

• 3 large potatoes
• 2 leeks (white part only)
• 1 white onion
• 500 ml of vegetable broth
• 200 ml of cooking cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
• Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes.
2. Clean the leeks by removing the green part and the root, and then slice them into rings.
3. Peel the onion and chop it finely.
4. In a large pot, heat a stream of extra virgin olive oil and gently sauté the onion until it becomes transparent.
5. Add the leeks to the sauté and let them soften for a few minutes.
6. Add the potato cubes and mix to blend the flavors.
7. Pour the vegetable broth into the pot so that it completely covers the vegetables and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and let cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
9. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove the pot from the heat and blend everything with an immersion blender until you achieve a velvety and smooth consistency.
10. Put the pot back on the heat and season with salt and pepper. If the velouté seems too thick, you can add a little broth.
11. Add the cream and stir well until it is completely incorporated and the velouté is hot.
12. Serve the velouté in deep dishes, garnishing with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, if desired.

Curiosity

The potato and leek velouté lends itself to numerous variations. You can enrich it by adding spices like chives or thyme to give an extra touch to the flavor. If you follow a vegan diet, you can replace the cooking cream with a vegetable version and omit the Parmesan.