Irish Leek and Potato Soup (Brotchán Foltchep)
Eaten for hundreds of years in Ireland, this refreshing everyday soup has many flavourful faces.
This style of soup has been eaten in Ireland for hundreds of years. The English had the ‘pottage’, the Irish had the ‘brotchán’. This ‘blueprint’ dish formed the daily diet for most Irish people, and depending on the season, the vegetables and meat available - if any - it would be a very different brotchán each time. It transformed and evolved throughout the year; it is a truly seasonal dish. This version uses potatoes and leeks, classic for end of winter. Before potatoes reached Ireland, brotchán relied heavily on oats for sustenance and some Irish people still add them now. For a potato soup, this dish is surprisingly light and quite refreshing, with a light green glow from leeks and any allium herbs you can add in too. You can blend it smooth or keep some texture if you prefer. I don’t peel the potatoes for this soup either - the skins enhance the flavour - instead I strain it through a sieve after blending it. Add any extra vegetables you have to hand too - that’s true to the spirit of brotchán after all! Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (serves 4x)
25g butter
1x onion, sliced
2x medium leeks, sliced finely
2x bay leaves
2x sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried thyme)
600g potato (Maris Piper or Red Skinned Potatoes), 1-inch diced
500ml chicken/vegetable stock
200ml milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground (or black) white pepper
100ml double cream - optional
To serve: chopped parsley or chives, soda bread
WALKTHROUGH
Place a pot onto medium heat and add the 50g of butter. Once melted, add the sliced onion, sliced leeks, 2x bay leaves and 2x sprigs of thyme. Fry them gently for 5-6 minutes until softened.
Add the 600g diced potatoes followed by the 500ml chicken/vegetable stock, 200ml of milk, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp of white pepper (black is fine). Allow the pot’s contents to come to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fall-apart tender.
Remove the pot from the heat. Using a stick or jug blender, blend the soup until smooth, about 3-4 minutes. A good, long blending is the key to a velvet, restaurant-quality soup. If preferred, you can strain the soup through a sieve to remove any ‘wooliness’, depending on the potatoes you used.
Return the soup to the heat. Add the 100ml of double cream if using. Taste for seasoning, making adjustments with salt, pepper or a small amount of lemon juice for brightness.
Serve the soup with crusty bread and chopped chives/parsley. Enjoy!
