Cooking the Soup

• Start by melting the butter in your large soup pot over medium heat. Once the butter is fully melted, add the chopped leeks and smashed garlic. Stir occasionally and cook for about 10 minutes, until the leeks are softened and wilted. Be careful not to brown the leeks or garlic—keep the heat low enough for them to soften and release their flavors without burning.
• Next, add the chopped Yukon Gold potatoes to the pot. Pour in your chicken or vegetable broth, and toss in the bay leaves, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir everything to combine, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
• After the potatoes are tender, it’s time to purée the soup. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the pot. Using your hand-held immersion blender, blend the soup directly in the pot until it reaches a smooth and creamy texture. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully blend the soup in batches using a standard blender.
• Once your soup is beautifully smooth, pour in the heavy cream and stir it in. Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt and pepper if needed. If you feel the soup is too thick for your liking, simply add a little more water or broth until it reaches your desired consistency.