In a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leek and sauté until the leeks are soft, 4 minutes.
Add the potatoes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the water and salt and partially cover cooking at medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are nice and tender.
With an immersion blender or food mill, mash all the vegetables to a rich paste-like consistency.
Off the heat, and just before serving into the soup bowl add the whipping cream and stir well.
Ladle on bowls, place a dollop of crème Fraiche in the middle, and sprinkle the chive over it.
Notes
Immersion blender or blender?I have an old immersion blender that does not finely chop all the leeks. Therefore, I use my Vitamix blender under the soup section. What you want is a very smooth soup. All the potatoes and leeks are finely ground.Want to make this soup richer?Instead of water, use homemade vegetable or chicken stock. This will not change the flavor.Can you make this ahead of time?Yes, you can. As you can see, it takes no time to make, and I enjoy making a large pot. It stores well for a couple of days in the refrigerator.Can I make this soup with the Pressure Cooker?Absolutely! Follow the same steps as the recipe card here below. Program your pressure cooker for 10 minutes on the program 2 or grains.Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for soups.Storage instructionsOnce the soup is entirely cooled off, it can be stored in an air-tight container, I prefer glass, in the refrigerator for up to two days.This excellent Potage Parmentier or Potatoes Leek soup is the perfect light lunch or dinner starter.
Giangi's Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.