Just in time for TGIF, here’s a comforting recipe to take you into fall!

Of all the soups we ate in Edinburgh this summer, Leek and Potato was my favorite. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of the restaurant where we had it — it was pretty fancy, there was a surly Eastern European hostess, and in addition to the soup, we had a great appetizer of “roll mops,” a.k.a. pickled herring rolls with beets and sour cream. Oh, and the place was decorated in shades of white and slate gray, with a handwritten chalk board menu.

. . . Anyway, the restaurant may have been forgettable, but that soup stayed with me! My version is far less rich, but just as tasty — it only has a tablespoon of half and half and half a pat of butter per serving. It’s also an unusual orange-y shade, due to the particularly dark vegetable broth from Trader Joe’s — yours may turn out lighter depending on what sort of broth you use. Serve with a mixed green salad and some crusty bread, and you’ve got a meal.

Leek and Potato Soup (printer-friendly version)

Serves 4

2 Tbsp. butter

1 large leek, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2″ slices, rinsed, and drained

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 pound red new potatoes, halved and sliced 1/8″ thick

3 C. low sodium vegetable broth

1/4 C. half and half

kosher salt to taste

1. Melt the butter in a medium-sized (4-quart) soup pot or dutch oven over medium flame.

2. Add the leeks and salt, stir to combine, then cover and let cook for 10 minutes.

3. Add the sliced potatoes, stir, and cover. Let cook for another 10 minutes.

4. Remove lid, stir the leeks and potatoes, then add the vegetable broth, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

5. Uncover, add half and half, and salt to taste.