Potato-Leek Soup Recipes

During its first year, Essex Farm harvested 10,000 pounds of potatoes in just one day; Kristin Kimball turned some of them into potato-leek soup. If you have a blender and good chicken broth, she swears it's one of the easiest soups to make. This version has a fabulous topping of supercrispy sourdough and pancetta crumbs mixed with sage and rosemary.

This silky-smooth pureed soup may sound like an Escoffier classic, but its taste is purely Tuscan. Chef Lauren Kiino, a firm believer in whole-vegetable cooking, uses more of the leek greens than any French chef would tolerate, for tons of gentle leek flavor. Kiino also stirs in a little creme fraiche. "But the Italian spirit is still the same," she says.

Andrew Zimmern loves elegant chilled vichyssoise, but in the fall he prefers a heartier version of the classic French soup served hot with salad and crusty bread.

Tony Maws was experimenting with a vichyssoise for his restaurant staff meal when he decided to add radish greens. They made the cold soup so vibrant that Maws put the dish on his menu.

This simple soup is the perfect make-ahead meal.