### Delicious Potato Leek Soup with Crispy Skins
**Heating the Oven:** Warm your oven to 375°F to prepare for the crispy skins.
**Preparing the Leeks:** Begin by trimming the root ends of the leeks and slicing them lengthwise. Cut the white and light green sections into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Soak the sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water, gently separating the layers to remove any dirt or sand. Scoop out the cleaned leeks, leaving grit behind, and drain in a colander. It’s alright if they remain slightly damp.
**Preparing the Potatoes:** Peel the potatoes and immerse the peels in a bowl of cold water to prevent discoloration while you continue with the soup preparation. Slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
**Cooking the Soup:** Set a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat and add butter. Once melted, add the drained leeks, garlic, a teaspoon of kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until the leeks are tender, approximately 7 to 10 minutes, ensuring they do not brown.
Add the broth, sliced potatoes, and a bay leaf, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low, letting it simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Test by breaking a potato with a spoon.
**Making Crispy Skins:** While the soup is simmering, dry the potato peels and line them on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat evenly. Spread the peels out on the sheet in a single layer and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until they are dry and crispy, checking initially at 10 minutes. Remove once crisp and set aside.
**Finishing the Soup:** Once the potatoes are tender, discard the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender, blending to your preferred consistency. My family prefers a partly blended texture, but feel free to modify according to taste. Taste and adjust the seasoning, often requiring an additional teaspoon of salt and more pepper.
**Serving:** Ladle the soup into bowls, squeeze fresh lemon juice over each, and top generously with sour cream, swirling it in. Garnish each bowl with chopped chives and some of the crispy potato skins, serving the remaining skins on the side. Enjoy it immediately.
**Storage Tips:** For leftovers, keep the toppings separate. The soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
**Shopping Note:** When purchasing leeks, note that sizes vary greatly. Thicker leeks often have less usable white and light green parts. This recipe accommodates these variations, so use extra leeks if you find the thick ones have minimal usable parts.
For more tasty recipes, visit [Smitten Kitchen](https://smittenkitchen.com/2025/01/potato-leek-soup/).
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