Creamy Potato Leek Soup

For dinner on Sunday night, I made mashed potatoes to go with the rest of our meal. We had about 4 cups of leftover mashed potatoes so I concocted this potato leek soup out of the remaining potatoes. It was delicious! And very thick and creamy. This is the perfect stick to your ribs soup for a cold winters night. Enjoy!

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, diced and rinsed thoroughly
1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
4 cups chicken stock
3-4 cups mashed potatoes, however you prepare them (I put butter, cream and garlic powder in mine. If you don't put garlic powder in your potatoes, then you may want to add a teaspoon or so to the soup to flavor it. I used red-skinned potatoes and left the skin on.)
3 tb cornstarch, if needed to thicken up the soup (I mixed it with a little water to make a paste before adding it to the soup)
freshly ground pepper
salt to season
pat of butter (about 2 tablespoons)


For topping:
1 package of prosciutto, crisped up in the oven (put it on a baking sheet and cook for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees)
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped chives

In a soup pot, melt your butter into your olive oil and then add the chopped and cleaned leeks. Saute until softened, about 10 minutes, then add your cream and stock. Allow it to come to a simmer and then whisk in your mashed potatoes. If your soup is too thick, you can add more stock or water. If your soup is too thin, you can thicken it up with a little cornstarch and water, which is what I did because I wanted a thicker consistency. Season well with salt and pepper. Add in your last pat of butter (hey no one said this was low-cal!) and serve. Top your soup with crispy prosciutto, shredded cheddar and chopped chives.