Soup for a winter day

Baby, it's cold outside. So warm up with this. Our new favorite soup. Mr. Wild loves making this soup (he says it's easy) and it tastes oh, so good! In addition, one out of two children will like it (well, at least in our house). If you are vegetarian, you could use vegetable broth instead.

We found it when someone at work gave me leeks and carrots from the garden. I looked up potato leek soup on the internet and this is what I found.

Potato Leek Soup

2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb leeks, washed and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
5 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. milk
4T butter
salt and pepper

Optional:
6T cream or half and half
1/2 c. shredded cheddar or chives
Crumbed bacon

Melt the butter over med heat in large saucepan. Add the potatoes, leeks, onion, celery, and carrots. Cover and cook 5-7 mins. stirring frequently.

Add chicken stock, milk, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender and potatoes are soft.

Remove 1/2 the vegetables from the pot and let cool for 15 min while soup on the stove is kept at just warm. Put the cooled vegetables in blender and puree until smooth. Add back to pot, stir, and reheat.

You can swirl in 1T of cream and sprinkle with cheddar, chives, and/or bacon. Serve with crusty bread.