Leek Soup

Well winter is approaching and one of my favorite suppers is a nice bowl of hardy soup – Leek Soup to be exact. The only thing about using leeks is that they are a very dirty vegetable. I guess I would be too if I grew up out of the dirt. They have all those wonderful layers each with their own deposit of silty, sandy mud that tends to crunch in your mouth and basically ruin the whole experience of this delicate member of the onion family. So here is the method I use to get the crud out of the leeks:

First thing I do is slice the leeks up as shown. I love using the entire leek including as much of the green tops as possible. If the leeks are fresh you can pretty much use the whole thing.

The next step is to put them in a very large bowl filled with water (I usually use good drinking water for this step as the leeks will drink a little during this step). Then I separate the rounds and give them a real good swishing. The leeks will float on the top of the water and the sandy, muddy crud will naturally fall to the bottom. Let sit for about 15 minutes and you have clean leeks. When you are ready to put them in your dish, simply scoop them up off the surface and throw them in.

Leek Soup

Ingredients:

2 Leeks

1/2” Ginger Root

1” Turmeric Root

10-20 Cloves of Garlic

1 T Red Curry Paste

2-3 T Tomato Paste (approx. 1/2 of a 6 oz can)

4-6 Roma Tomatoes, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 tsp. Soup herbs *(see below)

2 bouillon cubes (I use the Rapunzel brand available at health food stores)

4 C Chopped Cabbage

1 quart chicken broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

*Soup Herbs: 4 tsp oregano, 4 tsp parsley, 2 tsp marjoram, 2 tsp thyme, 4 TBS Basil, 2 tsp. tarragon, 1 TBS Flour, Mix well.

Method:

Chop leeks and put in bowl with water to clean. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.

There are two methods of getting the ingredients sautéed. If you are looking for a fat free method sauté the veggies in chicken broth, otherwise use 2 T of coconut oil.  For this application we will be using the coconut oil. Melt 2T Coconut oil in large soup pot and keep on low heat while preparing everything. Using a small grater (the type you would use for parmesan cheese) grate the ginger and turmeric into the oil. Using a chef’s knife, smash the garlic cloves, then roughly chop them. Add to oil. Add the chopped Roma tomatoes, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes are broken down. It’s ok to add a little chicken broth to help the tomatoes break down. Boil water and pour 2C over the 2 bouillon cubes and let soften.  Add the curry paste, tomato paste, soup herbs, celery, bouillon and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add salt and pepper to taste. You may need to add 2 cups more of water for a nice broth. Add cabbage and cook until tender but firm.