Friends are coming to dinner tonight. The pond is frozen and it’s a chilly 23 degrees in North Carolina. In four weeks, I’ll be back in Oaxaca. Meantime, it’s supposed to snow on Tuesday! I wanted to prepare a delicious, healthy, warming soup tonight to serve in mugs, no spoons needed, as a first course while we sit in front of the fire, sip wine and catch up.
I looked around the kitchen and in the mud room. Stephen has stored the organic Yukon Gold potatoes he dug up in the fall in a galvanized bin tucked under the laundry tub. There, I found the last of them. Along with the potatoes I had two aging leeks. From that, I went to the cutting block.
Norma's Spicy Leek & Potato Soup: Total Vegetarian!
The potatoes add body; the carrots add color; the garlic and leeks add a savory goodness; the cayenne and turmeric add bite; the honey adds sweetness. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
6 small white potatoes, skins on, cleaned and boiled whole until soft
2 medium leeks, cleaned, diced
3 carrots, peeled, thin sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled, whole
1/4 c. olive oil (EVOO)
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. dried basil (we grow ours in summer, dry it and store it)
1/4 c. honey
6 cups water
Add olive oil to a 4 quart stainless steel or anodized aluminum sauce pan and heat until hot. Add garlic, leeks and carrots. Sautee until tender on medium heat until soft and glazed, stirring periodically so that veggies cook evenly. Add whole cooked potatoes and stir. Add 2 cups of water to the mixture and stir to deglaze the pan. Put all ingredients into a food processor. Add salt, pepper, herbs and spices. Process on high heat until smooth. Add honey. Process for 30 seconds. Add water slowly to thin to the consistency of heavy cream. Taste. Add more salt and pepper if desired.
Serves 6.
