Potato Leek Soup
This is an incredibly simple soup, but it tastes like you've been cooking it for hours. Truth is, you can make it from start to finish in less than an hour, so it makes a great weeknight meal. The most time consuming part of it is cleaning and chopping the leeks. People often tell me that they are intimidated by leeks and don't know what to do with them. Well, here is your answer! The easiest way to prep them is to chop off most of the green tops, slice them down the middle and rinse them well under cold water in the sink (save the green tops for your next Vegetable Mineral Broth).
When you have your Vegetable Mineral Broth on hand all you have to do is take it out of the freezer the night before to defrost. I like to serve this soup with my cornbread.
Potato Leek Soup
8 cups Vegetable Scrap Mineral Broth 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes 3 medium to small leeks or 2 large, chopped into rounds 4 tbl butter salt & pepper to taste
Clean and chop leeks and potatoes. Heat 3 tbl butter in a stock pot over a medium flame. Add the chopped leeks to the melted butter and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining butter and the chopped potatoes. Stir well and cook for about another 5 minutes or so. Add about a half cup broth and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan and stir well. Add the remaining broth and fresh ground pepper. Turn heat to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Then reduce the heat to a medium-low flame and simmer soup for about a half an hour.
Serves 6
Nutrition Nuggets
Leeks are a great source of vitamins B6 and C and folic acid. They also contain manganese and iron and a good amount of dietary fiber. Similar to onions, leeks can lower cholesterol levels, improve the immune system, and fight cancer.
Yukon Gold Potatoes, like many potatoes, are a good source of potassium, vitamins B6 and C, niacin, pantothenic acid, and dietary fiber. Remember that most of the nutrients, fiber, and protein are found in the skins, so don't peel them!