In a sauté pan, heat olive oil and add leeks, onions and celery – cook until very soft about 15 minutes. Do not brown.

Meanwhile in a large pot add the Chicken Stock, cubed Potatoes and Ham, and simmer.

When leek mixture is soft, puree in a blender using a bit of the chicken stock to ensure it blends smoothly. Just remember use caution when blending hot mixtures in the blender. Do it in small batches so the steam doesn’t build up and make a mess – or even worse, burn you. When smooth, add the leek mixture to the pot of potatoes and ham.

Simmer the potato, ham, and leek mixture until potatoes are cooked. Add in dill. Now at this point I suggest you taste your soup. Add salt and pepper as necessary. You just may like it as is without adding the cream and sour cream, which is great if you want to save the fat and calories. If you decided to go with the creams, add them last. Don’t let the soup come to a boiling point once you add the cream, or the cream may curdle.

This soup will taste great when served right away, but if you have the time, chill in the fridge overnight (don’t add in the creams) to let the flavor develop even more. Out of the fridge, warm soup, add cream and serve!

*Variation – This soup is great to make if you have a leftover ham bone. Just boil the bone with peppercorns in about 2.5 quarts of water for about 30 minutes, then simmer with the 2 cups of ham for about another hour. Remove the ham bone, then add in the potatoes and continue with the recipe as directed.

Enjoy!