Smoky Potato Leek Soup. Using potatoes and smoked applewood cheddar from Prince Edward Island, this easy and incredibly tasty soup topped with crispy bacon is the ultimate winter comfort food lunch.
Smoky Potato Leek Soup
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Hi everyone – Olivia here. Long time no see! I’m here today to tell you about an amazing adventure I went on this fall, and to share a comforting winter soup recipe inspired by my trip.
Food Island Partnership and Food Bloggers of Canada graciously invited me and a group of other food bloggers to glorious Prince Edward Island – a.k.a., Canada’s Food Island.
Despite growing up on the Atlantic, it was my very first time in PEI, so I was delighted to join and experience the bounty of seafood, beef, potatoes and more that this little island has to offer. I was not disappointed.
Beautiful morning to get out on the water in PEI.
It was eye opening to learn just how much Prince Edward Island has to offer, and the scale of production for such a small place. For instance, if you’ve ever eaten oysters or mussels in Canada, there’s a solid chance they were from PEI.
World-class shellfish:
We had the opportunity to travel out on the water on a mussel boat to learn how they are farmed just off the coast. It was a beautiful morning, watching the red sandy shores go by. PEI supplies 80% of North America’s mussels – talk about market share!
Baby mussels on a line. Not time to harvest these just yet!
Olivia on a mussel boat in PEI.
If you know me, you know I could sit and eat oysters all day long. It was a pleasure to visit Raspberry Point Oysters, which I’ve enjoyed many times before and also served to countless folks while working at The Merchant Tavern during university. Unsurprising, considering PEI also supplies 30% of Canada’s oysters.
Raspberry Point Oysters – sealed with a kiss!
Fresh oysters on the boat!
Seeing the place where something you love to eat comes from is a very special experience. Mi’kmaq have been gardening oysters for millenia, and the Malpeque oysters in PEI have been world-renowned since the 1800s. In fact the Malpeque won Gold for Best Tasting Oyster at the Paris World Fair back in 1900!
Oysters are now grown in these cages, which are routinely flipped to ensure a nicely rounded, consistent shape.
The 1-Million-Acre Farm:
Although I’m well accustomed to a fishing economy, farming is something I’m less familiar with. Farmland represents a whopping 42.5% of PEI’s landmass – it’s often referred to as the 1-million-acre farm.
It was wonderful to visit a small-scale beef farm run by the same family for eight generations. The care they put into this work is so clearly reflected in the quality of life on the farm as well as the product.
Plenty of space for these healthy cows to roam around.
Yet even with all of this farmland, wild food still thrives on PEI. A highlight of the trip was a tasting of foraged ingredients with Nick Chindamo (@nickofnorth), experiencing the breadth of possibility these special elements can bring to a dish. The homemade shoyu was a particular standout.
Beautiful wild foraged ingredients including seabuckthorn, wild salted plums, chaga, reindeer moss, autumn olives, syrups, vinegars, chestnut paste and homemade shoyu. Incredible what comes from the wild land.
Some of these foraged ingredients were incorporated into a delicious lunch prepared by Chef Alex (a fellow Newfoundlander!) at North Shore Canteen. It was such a treat.
Beef with chanterelles at North Shore Canteen in French River, PEI.
Holy potatoes!
And last but not least: the famous Prince Edward Island Potato. The island’s red soil is rich in iron oxide, providing near-perfect conditions for growing. It’s quite the legacy, growing potatoes for over 200 years and as of late, PEI produces 2.5 BILLION POUNDS of potatoes every year.
Obviously quite pleased with this mountain of potatoes!
We visited a warehouse which stores some of these potatoes. When the garage door slid up, I was so shocked at the sheer amount of potatoes that I burst into laughter. I had never seen anything like it: 3 million pounds of potatoes, filled to the brim, floor to ceiling. What a sight!
Ever wonder what THREE MILLION pounds of potatoes looks like?!
Which brings me to today’s recipe: a Smoky Potato Leek Soup, using PEI potatoes, crispy bacon and some delicious Smoked Applewood Cheddar from Cows that I brought back with me. With great quality ingredients from PEI, this simple recipe turned into something so delicious and comforting. I will definitely be making this again over the winter.
Smoky Potato Leek Soup
In good company:
Thank you to everyone who made this experience unforgettable, notably our organizers Food Island Partnership and Food Bloggers of Canada. Be sure to check out the other incredible creators who were the very best company:
Nik at Weekend At The Cottage
James and Elaine at Zimmy’s Nook
Carmy at Carmy’s Hungry
Lily at Little Sweet Baker
Ilona at Ilona’s Passion
Please read on to find the recipe. Thank you to all the incredible chefs, fisherpeople, farmers in PEI who fed us and showed us around. Canada’s Food Island is home to many food entrepreneurs. It is one of the best places in the country to create and develop products thanks to a robust ecosystem and support system. Food Island Partnership helps make these delicious dreams a reality.
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Smoky Potato Leek Soup
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Smoky Potato Leek Soup
Smoky Potato Leek Soup. Using potatoes and smoked applewood cheddar from Prince Edward Island, this easy and incredibly tasty soup topped with crispy bacon is the ultimate winter comfort food lunch.
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 leeks
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup white wine (optional)
- 1 litre chicken stock (homemade is best!)
- 4 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1.5 pounds)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 50 grams smoked cheddar, very finely grated
- Chopped chives, or green onion for garnish
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, then slice them finely. Wash the chopped leeks thoroughly, as leeks can be notoriously dirty. I prefer using a salad spinner, or you can submerge them in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain, rinse and pat dry with paper towel.
- Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Once crispy, remove the bacon and set aside. Chop into bits and use for garnishing later.
- Add the leeks and sliced garlic to the bacon fat, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Cook for another minute.
- Add the potatoes and chicken stock, then increase the heat to bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat back down to medium-low and let simmer for about 15 minutes. The potatoes should be very tender.
- Transfer soup to a blender - you may need to do this in a couple of batches. Blend until smooth, which should only take a few seconds. Do not over-blend! This will create a gummy soup (the way mashed potatoes sometimes get gummy when overworked.)
- Put the soup back in the pot and over low heat, stir in the cream and smoked cheddar. I use a microplane zester to get the cheddar very fine and wispy, so that it melts in seamlessly. Taste the soup, and season with salt to finish.
- Serve the soup by sprinkling the reserved bacon bits and herbs over top, and enjoy with nice crusty bread, like baguette or a sourdough.
Notes
If you'd like to make this soup vegetarian, skip the bacon and cook the leeks in 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 329Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 43mgSodium 497mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 13g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.