Potato, leek, and smoked salmon soup

As a high school graduation present, my grandmother took me to Europe for the first time. I will never forget one of the first meals I had in France. It started with a velvety potato leek soup infused with a smoky, bacon-like quality. Yet, instead of pork, it was tender morsels of smoked salmon. 25 years later, I still think about this soup, with its gentle allium and smoky essence.

Thinking of this the other day, I decided to have my very first rendezvous cooking with leeks, developing this simple soup, perfect for a cold winter day. 

Ingredients
1 T butter
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, roughly chopped then rinsed in a sieve
3 garlic cloves, minced.
1 quart water
1 heaping T better than bouillon
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1.5-2 pounds) (I don't bother peeling them)
1 bay leaf
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup half and half
6 oz smoked salmon, cut into small pieces

The key to cleaning leeks--which often have pockets of sand inside their layers--is to cut them up first and rinse them in a sieve. Sauté the leeks on medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients except half and half and salmon. Simmer for 20 minutes, until potatoes and leeks are very tender. Remove from heat and stir in half and half and salmon, allowing carryover heat to warm them through. Serves 6.