Irish potato soup
Anraith prátaí: leek and potato soup with buttermilk swirl
Potato soup is what Irish pubs and farmhouse kitchens set down on a wet afternoon from Kerry to Mayo, always with a heel of brown soda bread. Floury potatoes, onion and leek are sweated in butter and simmered in stock, then blended to a velvety, comforting soup with a gentle onion sweetness. A swirl of buttermilk and chives adds freshness. Chef's tip: sweat the leeks slowly without browning them; colour makes the soup taste bitter and turns it grey.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Melt the 1 ⅜ oz butter in a large pot over a low heat. Add the 1 onion and 2 leeks, cover and sweat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent.
10 minStep 2: Add the 1 ½ lb potatoes, 4 ¼ cups vegetable stock and 2 sprigs fresh thyme, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes break when pressed with a spoon.
22 minStep 3: Remove the thyme stalks and blend until smooth, then stir in the ¾ cup milk and reheat gently without boiling.
5 minStep 4: Season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp white pepper; the soup should coat the back of a spoon. A common mistake is under-salting potato soup, which tastes flat. Serve with a swirl of 4 tbsp buttermilk or cream and the 1 tbsp chives.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does irish potato soup take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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