I have made this soup a handful of times and have augmented the Test Kitchen Cookbook's recipe to make it my own. It's absolutely delicious and leeks are good right now. Pair it with a large salad and homemade bread. It's also great as a leftover; the flavors actually become more intense. It can be frozen in a freezer safe container for one month.

Serves: 8

Prep Time: 25 mintues

Cook Time: 55 minutes

4 or 5 medium sized leeks sliced and rinsed thoroughly (use only the white and light green portion, cut off the dark green)

1/2 of a large head of cabbage (not red) chopped and rinsed (I put the leeks and the cabbage in a large bowl of water to rinse off any hidden dirt)

1 1/2 cups peeled carrots chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 3/4 lbs of potatoes scrubbed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (I use fingerling potatoes, but red potatoes are also good.)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter (The Test Kitchen Cookbook calls for 6 Tablespoons; I reduce this and add a bit of water when sweating the leeks for a more healthy soup. Be careful that you don't burn the leeks with the reduced amount of butter. You can also substitute some of the butter with olive oil.)

2 cloves of garlic minced

6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dry

1 teaspoon fresh chives (optional)

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste