It was the spring of 2009. My dad and I had been cycling all day, as well as the day before that… and the day before that. Even though the scenery of that day had been gorgeous and morale was high, it had rained the last ten or so miles and my legs were sore. When we finally rolled into the town of Glengarriff, in County Cork, Ireland, I was starving, cold, and wet. All I wanted was something that would warm me up and fill me up. I got just that at the pub that night when I ordered the potato and leek soup.
There are so many things to love about Ireland. The scenery is amazing, the people are friendly, the music is incredible, and the food makes me so happy. I think I could eat potatoes for every meal of the day and be happy. This St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to take myself back to the wonderful time I had exploring Ireland with my dad, and this soup is the perfect way to do that.
Before I get to the recipe, I wanted to quickly plug the cycling company my dad and I went with. They are called Cycling Safaris and I can’t say enough good things about my experience. I’m not sponsored or anything; I just really loved my trip! If you’re looking for a cycling trip in pretty much any country, do yourself a favor and check them out!
Ok, now for the recipe! Some of my favorite food is pub food (seriously, I will never say no to a shepherds pie), so I was really looking forward to this dinner! I adapted this recipe from the soup in The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook.
Soda bread is often thought of as a traditional Irish bread, but it actually didn’t arrive until the introduction of baking soda in the mid-1800s. Either way, it’s popularity took off due to its simple construction and the lack of any yeast, which could be expensive. There isn’t much point dwelling on the bread, because even though it’s delicious, it is so, so simple to make. I only had to bake mine a total of 35 minutes, so only 20 minutes after I reduced the heat to 400.
The soup itself is super smooth and flavorful. It’s one of those meals that just instantly makes you feel more cosy.
I hope you enjoy this Irish recipe in honor of St. Patrick’s Day! Slainte!
Ingredients
- 3 2/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 leeks, sliced
- 2 potatoes, cubed
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- 2/3 cup light cream (optional)
Instructions
- For the bread, preheat the oven to 450F and oil a flat baking sheet with vegetable oil.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk.
- Using your hands, mix the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a surface sprinkled with flour and knead once or twice.
- Shape into a circle about 8 inches in diameter and transfer to the baking sheet, floured side up. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross into the top of the loaf.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400 and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the top of the loaf is golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let it cool slightly and then serve!
- For the soup, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, leeks, and potatoes. Saute until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- To blend the soup, either use an immersion blender or transfer to a food processor.
- If you used a food processor, transfer back to the pot and reheat.
- Add salt and pepper. Garnish with heavy cream if you want.
- Grab a Guinness and enjoy!
