Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup

Prepare the vegetables:

1. Keep the vegetables separated as they have different cooking times.
2. Leeks: Trim the leeks and discard the root ends. Trim the dark green parts and use them in another recipe or freeze them for making stock at another time. Wash and chop the white and light green pieces into half moons. 1 lb/ 450 g leeks
3. Peel and chop the potatoes into small cubes. Finely chop the celery stalks. Grate or finely chop the garlic. 2 lbs/ 1 kg potatoes, 2 celery ribs, 2 garlic cloves

Cook potato leek soup:

1. "Sauté" mode: Heat the olive oil and butter. Add the leeks and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the leeks are softened and slightly golden. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring, for 30 seconds. 1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter
2. Add the potatoes, marjoram, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together for a minute. 1 teaspoon marjoram + 2 bay leaves + 1 teaspoon salt + ½ teaspoon pepper
3. Pour in the vegetable broth. 4 cups/ 950 ml broth
4. Close the instant pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position.
5. "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode: Set the timer for 8 minutes on high pressure.
6. Allow for a natural pressure release for about 10 minutes. Then, carefully turn the valve to the venting position to release any remaining pressure.
7. Remove the lid and remove the bay leaves as well.
8. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the soup to a blender in batches and blend until smooth. Be cautious when blending hot liquids (Note 4). Don’t over-blend, or the potatoes will get gluey.
9. Stir in the half and half or heavy cream. ¾ cup heavy cream or half and half
10. Season: Add a few gratings of nutmeg and adjust the seasonings with additional salt and pepper.
11. Serve the instant pot leek and potato soup hot, garnished with chopped chives or fresh parsley if desired.