May the luck of the Irish be upon ye! Here’s a great recipe to pair with all that fun you might be having out on the town.
We used leeks from our summer harvest, that we froze for soups and stews. If you have space, try to purchase/grow extra veggies that freeze well in season (like leeks). You can get them locally, organic, and less expensive when purchased this way. Leeks have a lot of dirt in them. To avoid getting grit in your food, we slice them, drop them in a bowl of water, separating the rings. The dirt will settle to the bottom of your bowl. Just be sure to wash them again. If freezing, dry them before placing into the freezer to prevent ice build up.
Potatoes are high in Vitamin C and potassium. Combining them with the other veggies in this pot: carrots, celery, and leeks and you’ve got an anti-oxidant supply that will boost your immune system and reduce inflammation. This soup is made with water as the base, making it lower in sodium, vegan, and gluten free. The potatoes provide the creamy texture that often comes with lots of added fat and calories. By pureeing your soup, you get that satisfaction of cream, while cutting the calories. We served this with our Corn Muffins, modified with added sautéed kale and salsa.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of potatoes; washed and cut into cubes (we don’t skin)
- 4 cups of cleaned and chopped leeks, see notes on how to clean*
- 2 cups of chopped carrots
- 1 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 5 cups of water
- 1 1/2-2 tsp kosher salt (depending on your taste)
- 1 tbsp dried dill, or 3 tbsp fresh
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
- 3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- *optional: milk to thin: can use soy, almond, or other milk of choice
- *optional toppings: freshly chopped parsley or chives
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients into soup pot, except optional milk. We add 1 1/2 tsp of salt, and add more if needed after cooking
- Heat until boiling, and turn down to a simmer until potatoes are softened
- Using a stick blender, or a traditional blender, puree soup until smooth. If using a traditional blender, be sure to vent soup, as it will expand due to heat
- If soup is too thick, add additional water or milk to thin. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Shown below, not as smooth.
- Serve topped with fresh herbs if desired, salad, and a yummy muffin, like a corn muffin (these had kale and salsa added to them)
- Soup can be frozen for 6 months.
Nutritional Benefits:
- Vegan and Gluten Free
- Anti-inflammatory: great for inflammatory disease, or dental pain
- High in Vitamin C; anti-oxidant
- High in fiber: great for digestive health and regulating blood sugar
- Oil Free: heart healthy
- 2 pounds of potatoes; washed and cut into cubes (we don't skin)
- 4 cups of cleaned and chopped leeks, see notes on how to clean*
- 2 cups of chopped carrots
- 1¼ cup chopped celery
- 5 cups of water
- 1½-2 tsp kosher salt (depending on your taste)
- 1 tbsp dried dill, or 3 tbsp fresh
- 1½ tbsp chopped fresh garlic
- ¾ tsp freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- *optional: milk to thin: can use soy, almond, or other milk of choice
- *optional toppings: freshly chopped parsley or chives
- Place all ingredients into soup pot, except optional milk. We add 1½ tsp of salt, and add more if needed after cooking
- Heat until boiling, and turn down to a simmer until potatoes are softened
- Using a stick blender, or a traditional blender, puree soup until smooth. If using a traditional blender, be sure to vent soup, as it will expand due to heat
- If soup is too thick, add additional water or milk to thin. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Shown below, not as smooth.
- Serve topped with fresh herbs if desired, salad, and a yummy muffin, like a
- corn muffin
- (these had kale and salsa added to them)
- Soup can be frozen for 6 months.
I deal with high blood pressure, is this salt something I should not use and may have an herb in place of salt?
Mary-they do make salt substitutes. You can try that, or omit and up the other seasonings. I’d add more pepper and dill to compensate. Be sure to add fresh herbs right at the end, before serving. This really boosts flavor to compensate for missing salt.
This looks incredible! Yum!
Thank you!It is!
I added navy beans before blending to make it creamy. 🙂
Great! White beans will keep the color 🙂