Potato Leek Soup

I told you I was a little obsessed with German food.  This soup, in particular, has haunted me for over a year.  Let me tell you a story about this soup.

The trip to the little island in the North Sea takes about two days from the West Coast of the United States.  First you fly overnight to the East Coast.  You pick up your wife's grandparents, and then you fly overnight again, this time to Hamburg.  When you get there, you collect your luggage and make trouble for the poor young man at the car rental booth.  You pack your luggage in the car, shift around the seats, spend ten minutes figuring out how a manual car works, and drive in circles around the Hamburg airport for another twenty.  You then drive a few hours on the most terrifying road known to man the A23, playing chicken with passing cars going 100 miles per hour, never stopping to use the restroom.  When you finally arrive in Dagebull, you wait for the ferry in the car, drive onto the ferry, and stay in the car for the hour ferry ride to the island.  That is, that's what the experience would be like if you are my wife's grandfather.  If you are me (or my wife, or her grandmother), you would get out of the car on the ferry and order some soup while watching the beautiful scene out the window.

It could be that this was the first food I ate since getting on a plane in Newark, but I'm pretty sure this is the best darn potato soup in existence.  Imagine my surprise when it arrived with a dollop of whipped cream on top.  Whipped cream!  On soup!  My world expanded.  I had to recreate this soup.

This is my best approximation.  It is still not as excellent as that first spoonful on the ferry, but like I said, I may have been delirious at that point.  I'm assuming it was cooked with a ham bone, given that we were in Germany, but, being a good Jew, I figured bacon was good enough.  And that dollop of whipped cream.  Heaven.

Potato Leek Soup
Serves 3

1/2 onion, chopped
4 T butter
1/2 c leeks, rinsed and chopped
2 large potatoes, chopped
3 c water
1/2 t dried thyme
1 c heavy cream
salt and pepper
cooked bacon, crumbled
whipped cream

In large pot, melt the butter and saute the onions until translucent.  Add the leeks, potatoes, water, and thyme.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about half an hour.

Puree soup in a blender and return to pot.  Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper.  Top each bowl with some bacon and a dollop of whipped cream.