017 / 75 · Soups, beans and broths
Leek, Potato and White Bean Chowder
2 chowder bowls, each with half the potato, leek and bean mixture · Active 16 min · Cook 20 min · Total 35 min
Print recipe · PDFWhite beans can do the work of a flour-thickened sauce. Mash half of them and leave the rest whole, then stir both into a bowl of tender potato and leek. Milk softens the mustard without turning the chowder into a cheese soup. There is no browned leek to imitate here: gentle steaming suits the quiet sweetness of the vegetable.
Wash between the leek layers
Leek rings can hold grit where the pale leaves overlap. Split the trimmed piece lengthways, rinse between the layers and drain before slicing. Small, thin pieces soften much more evenly than thick rings in a microwave. The first covered stage gives the leek a head start before it is surrounded by broth.
Make the thickener in a small bowl
A fork is enough to crush the measured half of the beans. Keep a few whole beans for contrast and scrape every bit of the mash into the chowder. Milk should be added after the potato has softened, when the last heating stage can stay brief. Mustard is a background seasoning rather than a sharp topping.
Ingredients
- 80 g (2¾ oz) trimmed leek, white and pale green parts only, thoroughly washed and thinly sliced
- 180 g (6⅓ oz) peeled potato, cut into 1 cm/⅜ in cubes
- 160 g (5⅔ oz) canned ready-to-eat cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, divided into two 80 g portions
- 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
- 400 ml (about 1⅔ US cups) ready-to-use lower-sodium vegetable stock
- 100 ml (about ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp) pasteurized milk
- 5 g wholegrain mustard (about 1 tsp)
- 0.5 g dried thyme leaves (about ½ tsp)
- 0.5 g fine salt, a small pinch, or omit if the stock is salty
- 0.3 g ground black pepper (about ⅛ tsp)
Set out
1000 W microwave with turntable, Kitchen scale and measuring jug, Knife and cutting board, Spoon, Oven mitts, Two serving bowls, Microwave-safe bowl, at least 2 L/about 2⅛ US qt measured capacity, about 20 cm/8 in inside diameter and 9 cm/3½ in deep, Microwave-safe vented cover, Small bowl and fork, Can opener and sieve, Food thermometer for leftover reheating checks
Allergens
Milk, Mustard. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Put the washed, drained leek, oil and 30 ml/2 tbsp of the measured stock in the 2 L bowl. Cover with a vent and microwave at 1000 W full power for 3 minutes, stirring after 90 seconds. The leek should be softened without browning.
- Add the potato, remaining 370 ml stock, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir, cover with the vent open and heat at full power for 8–12 minutes. Stop every 3 minutes to stir from the bottom and turn potato pieces through the broth. Continue in 1-minute bursts if needed until the largest potato cube crushes readily against the side with a spoon.
- While the potatoes cook, mash one 80 g bean portion in the small bowl with 30 ml/2 tbsp of the measured milk. Stir this mash, the whole remaining beans, the remaining 70 ml milk and all the mustard into the tender potato base. Scrape the small bowl clean into the soup.
- Cover with a vent and heat at full power for 3–5 minutes, stirring halfway, until the whole chowder is steaming hot with gentle bubbles. Stand covered for 2 minutes, stir again and divide every component equally between the two serving bowls.
A chowder, not a mug snack
The full batch belongs in the roomy cooking bowl. Portion after heating; two deep mugs will not behave like this wide vessel.
Do the firm ingredient first
Potato must already be tender when the dairy and bean mash go in. Extra milk heating is a poor substitute for the longer potato stage.
Ingredient labels
Check stock and mustard labels for additional allergens; bread is not included. The soy-drink variation contains soy.
A useful detail
The 35-minute plan includes 10 minutes of preparation, up to 20 minutes of sequential heating, a 2-minute stand and portioning. The bean mash can be made during the potato stage. A 1000 W microwave is the baseline; use the crushed-potato check before adding milk, and extend in short bursts if needed.
Another way
- Replace the cannellini with 160 g/5⅔ oz drained ready-to-eat butter beans. Crush 80 g in exactly the same way; larger whole beans make a chunkier chowder.
- Use 100 ml/about ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp unsweetened soy drink instead of milk. Soy becomes an allergen; keep the mustard label check and the same potato-first sequence.
Keep it well
Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier milk or opened-bean deadline. Reheat only the portion needed under a vented microwave-safe cover, stirring between short bursts; stand 2 minutes and verify 165°F/74°C in the center and near the edge before serving. Do not keep a warm bowl on the counter for later.