Light Rustic Potato Leek Soup

I love cookbooks, I have way more than I need, and there's one called "Love Soup" by Anna Thomas that's a particular favorite.  I'm not a vegetarian but I appreciate vegetarian/vegan recipes because they frequently make interesting use of spices, and "Love Soup" is a vegetarian cookbook that I've enjoyed.  That said even vegetarian recipes can be fattening… so this recipe started with the recipe "rustic leek and potato soup" from "Love Soup", but then I changed it for my own needs.

Also, I happened to have a lot of Leeks, so in the picture you're going to see a huge soup pot & a lot larger quantity (2 1/2 times) what would normally go into a pot of soup…

Ingredients:

  Spray Olive Oil

  3-4 large Leeks, white and light green parts (12oz / 350g trimmed)

  3 cups Vegetable Broth 

      OR 3 cups Water + 3 tsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable

  2 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes

  1 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

  3 Tbl chopped fresh Italian Parsley

  1/2 tsp chopped fresh Thyme

  2 tsp fresh Lemon Juice

  additional Sea Salt & fresh ground Black Pepper, to taste

Spray a soup pot with Olive Oil.  Add the chopped Leeks and cook on a high flame.

Cook the Leeks, stirring continuously, until they are translucent and just starting to turn gold.

When Leeks are cooked add the Vegetable Broth, continue to leave on a high flame.

Add Potatoes and Sea Salt, bring to a Boil then lower to a Simmer, cover.

Simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Stir in Parsley, Thyme, and Lemon Juice, add Sea Salt & Pepper to taste.

To vary this try adding in a diced up boneless/skinless Chicken Breast, or a cup of grated Carrots, or both… we've tried all these variations & liked them all!