My Favorite Fall Soup

I love Fall (well, I used to before I moved) and this is my favorite soup to make.  My father always made Leek and Potato Soup (he was always good with any kind of soups).  One night he was supposed to make it and kept putting it off until he finally looked at me and said "Hey Lindsey, you gonna make that soup?".  I was so irritated that I had to make the soup I decided to do it my way!  It got mixed reviews from my family but I've been making it every since!  It's loosely based of off an Ina Garten recipe! (She's where I got this idea to roast the leeks and potatoes!)

Roasted Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablepoons olive oil
1 lb. potatoes (any will do, I like red skinned or gold)
6 large leeks, or 8 small
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large carrots, minced
2 celery stalks, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 tsp organic butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (low or no sodium)
2 cups water
2 tsp fresh thyme
½ cup lowfat milk or unsweetened original almond milk
Salt and pepper to taste



Start by slicing the tops and bottoms off the leeks. Cut in half lengthwise, and slice. Place sliced leeks into a large bowl of cold water and let soak (dirt and grit likes to hide in there, it’ll all fall to the bottom and you can scoop the leeks out)


Cut potatoes into cubes (you can peel or leave the skins on. I like the skins on) and place on a baking sheet. Scoop the leeks out of the cold water and dry on a paper towel. Mix leeks and potatoes together with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a little bit of salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 400 for about 30-45 minutes or until everything is cooked through and a little browned.


While the potatoes are cooking, heat a large soup pot on the stove to medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil, then the garlic, onions, carrots and celery. When they’re soft and fragrant, add the flour. Mix constantly until everything is cooked through (a roux). Add the potatoes and leeks, then the broth and water to the pot along with the thyme. A little bit of salt and pepper, and stir while mashing the potatoes a little bit with your spoon or a potato masher. (if you have an immersion blender, that works too. This is to break up the starchiness in the potatoes and thicken the broth).


Let simmer for 1 hour uncovered, stirring frequently. Add the milk to the soup towards the end.

(21 Day Fixers, measure one green container full and it counts as 1 yellow, 1 green and 1 tsp)

Tip: Slice a baguette into thin slices (whole grain if you can find it) and put under the broiler for a minute.  Let them sit on top of the soup before eating.