In my opinion, you can never have too many soup recipes. Soups are great for lunch or dinner, as main dish or a side dish, or even as an afternoon snack. They’re a great way to use up leftover veggies that have been hanging around in your fridge too long, and soup is also the perfect vehicle for sneaking vegetables into the diets of any picky kids you might happen to know.
Fortunately, there are no picky kids here! Just us verdant soup lovers who crave something savory and hearty. For us, this soup makes a perfect meal when accompanied by a salad and a crusty baguette.
Leek-Potato Soup
Yield: About 4 dinner servings or 8 side servings
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium leeks, cut lengthwise and then chopped (and rinsed!)
1/2 large white onion, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 lb (about 4 medium) butterball or other thinly skinned potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2 Tbsp dried thyme
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
nutritional yeast flakes, for topping
vegan bac’n bits, for topping
In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add leeks, onion and garlic. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook a few minutes, until leeks begin to wilt. Add potatoes, vegetable broth, water, thyme and oregano. Stir and increase to high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add parsley and salt, taste and adjust if needed. With a manual potato masher, smash up about half the potatoes until a nice chunky consistency is reached. Stir again to recombine and serve topped with one healthy pinch each of nutritional yeast, veg bac’n bits and fresh chopped parsley.
