Potato Leek (Sausage) Soup

1-2 lbs kielbasa or polish sausage, sliced into disks

1 Tb butter

4-5 lbs leeks

1 Tb flour

6-7 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 1/2-2 lbs red potatoes, cubed (peeled or not, I leave the peel on)

salt and pepper

Brown the sausage in a large pot over medium heat. (Want to make this vegetarian? Substitute veggie broth for the chicken broth, and melt 6 Tb butter instead of browning sausage)

Prepare the leeks: cut tough, dark leaves off, diagonally on each side. Cut off the very end of the white part of the leek. Remove outer layer, and slice in half, lengthwise. Hold each half under cold running water, fanning each layer out to rinse. These things LOVE to hold dirt in there, so rinse carefully! After rising, slice up the leek.

After the sausage is well browned, remove from the pot, leaving all the fat in. (Yum!) If there wasn't much, add up to 2 Tb butter to melt. Cook leeks in fat for a few minutes, till they soften and turn translucent. They will also decrease in volume quite a bit! When they are well-softened, stir in the flour. Cook for about a minute, then add broth, a cup at a time, stirring after each till it starts to thicken. Add bay leaf and potatoes, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, let sit 10-15 minutes before serving. This is one of those soups that only improves in flavor overnight!