Prep Time::20 mins
Cook Time::45 mins
Total Time:: 1 hr 5 mins
Servings::8
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, minced
1 sweet onion, chopped
12 cloves garlic, minced
4 large fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground coriander
5 russet potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 quart chicken stock, or as needed
½ pound shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh chives, or more to taste
Directions
Melt butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; add leeks, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and coriander and sauté until onions are softened and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add potatoes and chicken bouillon to the pot and pour enough chicken stock over the top to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Mash potatoes to desired consistency with a potato masher. Stir Colby-Monterey Jack cheese and cream into potato mixture, return soup to a simmer, and cook until cheese melts and soup is hot, about 15 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and discard bay leaves.
Ladle soup into bowls and top with chives.
Cook’s Note
For a smoother soup, blend on low speed with an electric mixer instead of the potato masher. It may be necessary to add more chicken broth because this will make the soup thicker. Add chicken broth so that the soup is the desired consistency.
There is no salt on the ingredients list because the cheese itself is quite salty.
You can substitute chicken broth for chicken stock. You can substitute vegetable bouillon for chicken bouillon. You can substitute half-and-half for heavy whipping cream.