INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• large leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
• cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3 or 4   potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into ½-inch pieces
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of celery chopped
• 2 carrots chopped
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 lemon squeezed
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 Chives, finely chopped, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot
2. Add the lemon juice, leeks ,garlic and all the vegetables cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes.
3. Adjust the heat as necessary so as not to brown.
4. Add broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to pot and bring to a boil
5. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
6. Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to pure the soup in batches; see note.)
7. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it’s too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.