Mexican Cuisine, Soups

Leek and Potato Soup – A Clear Example of Mexican Cuisine

by Irene

Leek and potato soup is often regarded as a thick and smooth soup, sometimes with the addition of cream; it is well known around the world, although Wales and Ireland have some of the most avid consumers, and even consider this soup a national dish.  A collection of different renditions includes the famous French “Vichyssoise”, a creamy version which may be served cold or hot.  In contrast to this ideology, there are some leek and potato soups that are chunky, with a clear broth, such as the Scottish “Leek and Tattie”, or from Spain, the “Porrulsada” (from a Basque dialect, the forms porru – leek and salda – broth), which is a classic leek and potato soup in broth, sometimes with other vegetables, such as carrots or squash.  In Mexico, the traditional version only calls for sautéed leek rings and cubed potatoes, cooked in chicken broth or water, and seasoned with salt.  For my recipe, I chose veggie broth since I planned to keep it vegetarian, and added black pepper and garlic for extra notes; finally, a good scoop of tomato paste was added for umami taste, and to confer the final seal of Mexican flavour to my soup.

Leek and Potato Soup – Sopa de Poro y Papa

Printable recipe: Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients

1 leek; washed, roots and green tops removed
2 large potatoes; washed
1 tbsp butter (omit for vegan option)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic; peeled
¼ cup water
6 cups broth (veggie, or chicken)
2 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Slice cleaned leek into thin rings; reserve.  Peel potatoes and slice into small cubes; reserve.  In a large pan, warm up butter (if using) and oil over medium heat; add leek rings and sauté until translucent, then incorporate minced garlic (photo below, left).   Continue cooking for one minute, then add potatoes, stirring to mix with the leeks, and coat with oil (photo below, right):

Continue cooking for another three minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent vegetables from burning.  Add water to deglaze the pan, scrapping any bits from the bottom (photo below, left); pour broth in, stirring to incorporate (photo below, right):

Season with salt and pepper, then add tomato paste, stirring to dissolve in the broth (photo below, left).  Bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are completely cooked (test with a fork, photo below, right):

Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed.  Serve very hot:

007 leek and potato soup

This is the perfect bowl as a first item on a menu, before the main course, or as a light lunch on a cold winter day.

I am bringing my recipe to Thursday Favourite Things #422 with Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, Marilyn @ Marilyn’s Treats, Pam @ An Artful Mom, Katherine @ Katherine’s Corner, Amber @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home, Theresa @ Shoestring Elegance and Linda @ Crafts a la Mode.  UPDATE: Special thanks to Katherine for including my recipe with her features at Thursday Favourite Things #423.

I am sharing this recipe at Full Plate Thursday #467 with Miz Helen @ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.

I am joining Fiesta Friday #311 with Angie @ Fiesta Friday, co-hosting this week with Zeba @ Food For The Soul.

I am also bringing my recipe to Soup is on the Menu Blog Party with Linda @ poinsettiadr.com.

I am also joining What’s for Dinner? Sunday Link-Up Party #351 with Helen @ The Lazy Gastronome.

27 thoughts on “Leek and Potato Soup – A Clear Example of Mexican Cuisine”

  3. Very nice soup. Your blog is so educational — I never would have guessed this to be a Mexican recipe.
    PS I hope no previous members of ETA are reading this, because they could become violent because of your description of the Basque language as a dialect 😉

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    1. Yikes, you are right, I should have said “a Basque dialect” or “a dialect of the Basque language”, not “the Basque dialect” I shall correct that before I get hate mail, hee hee. Thank you for your comment, Stefan!

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  6. This looks wonderful, Irene! I have been wanting to make more soups this winter. Thanks so much for sharing it with us at Thursday Favorite Things!

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  7. Your soup look delicious, I just love soup! Thanks so much for sharing with us on Full Plate Thursday,467. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us real soon!
    Miz Helen

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  13. Hi there. I just stumbled across this recipe because I was searching for “leeks in Mexico” (note that down for your SEO lol). We live in Vegas and travel to Mexico often. we usually buy all our fruit and veg at the local Cardenas Mexican supermarket. Today we bought leeks for a leek soup, but not of the women working at the checkout knew what they were – it was the subject of much discussion! Is this soup from a particular region of Mexico? Are leeks not commonly used? Large spring onions are a staple, so it seems strange that leeks might be uncommon. Can you enlighten me? Great blog BTW.

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    1. “Leek and potato soup” is a very traditional recipe in Mexico, maybe not on restaurant menus so much, but common when homemade. Other than that, though, I can’t really think of any traditional Mexican recipes using leek (“poro” or “puerro” in Spanish), so maybe that’s why those ladies didn’t know what they were. The large spring onion s, “cebollas de rabo” (“tailed onions”) are omnipresent on the Mexican grill, to serve well charred next to steak, chorizo or any kind of taco; the white bulbs are eaten often with a good part of the greens, just by biting into them, so leeks just would not do as a substitution, being too tough to eat like that, especially their green tops. I am glad you like my blog, thank you so much for your comment!

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      1. Interesting. I will ask the girls if they’ve ever ever made soup next time! BTW you might like to check out my husband’s blog: https://www.cookeatblog.com/ There are some Mexican recipes that we’ve picked up on our travels. I’d appreciate any feedback on how they might be improved!

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