This is based on a recipe that I found in a magazine a very long time ago. Pottage Parmentier is just a French way of saying leek and potato soup which is a classic flavour combination. The ingredients are really basic – leek, potato, salt and water. No stock, no odd ingredients just the four mentioned. Texture is an important part of eating soup. Pottage Parmentier has a slightly unusual consistency but it works. I like my soup either smooth or with everything in even sized pieces so this was a new one for me. You can add a tablespoon of cream before serving if you wish to tart it up a bit.
Ingredients
Equal quantities of leek and peeled potatoes ie.
2 leeks
2 big potatoes
1 litre of water – enough water to cover the vegetables
1 teaspoon of salt
Method
Peel the potatoes and chop into even sized pieces. Place in a medium saucepan. Trim and wash the leeks. Slice into even slices about 1/2 to 1 cm large and add to the pan. You want the weight of the potatoes and leeks to be similar.
Cover with water and add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Yes this is correct – they need a thorough cooking.
When the time is up, remove the pan from the heat. Take a potato masher or a fork and gently mash the potatoes into fine lumps. You don’t have to go mad with getting the texture exact, just take out the big lumps.
Check the seasoning. There was quite a lot of salt cooked into the dish but you might want to add some pepper. Serve in bowls with a swirl of cream or yoghurt if you fancy and a pinch of parsley.
If you liked this soup, you might like my home made vegetable soup: https://cookingwithfi.com/vegetable-soup/
I also did a cook along with the vegetable soup on You Tube: