Potato Leek Soup

This was a recipe I saw Giada DeLaurentis make. I tweeked it a bit. It is super yummy.

Potato Leek Soup w/ Artichoke Hearts
Ingredients

5-7 Medium sized Yukon Gold Potatoes, cubed
3 Leeks cleaned and chopped (use the white and the light green parts, loose the dark leaves, see this http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookvegetables/a/leekcleaning.htm to learn about how to clean leeks)

4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1 container of chicken stock (or broth)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons Mascarpone Cheese

2 tablespoons Olive or Canola Oil
Bacon (optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat a large stock pot on medium. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tablespoon oil.
2Chop the bacon into small pieces and saute in the pan until crispy.
3. Remove Bacon from the pan and add remaining oil. Add leeks to the pan and sweat the leeks (saute until just soft). Add garlic and saute for another 3 min.
4. Add potatoes and artichokes and saute for 5 min.
5. Add chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes can be pierced easily a fork. Remove from heat.
6. Using and immersion blender (hand blender) or a food processor puree the soup mixture.
7. Once pureed, add mascarpone cheese and blend again until the cheese is incorporated into the soup.
8. Serve soup, garnish with a dollop of mascarpone, bacon bits and chives (optional).
9. Enjoy!