Creamy Potato Leek Soup and CSA Box

I love soup, and I make at least one big pot of soup every week. I like to eat the soup with a salad on the side or over some brown or black rice. A small cup of soup is also a great snack.

Creamy potato leek soup tastes decadent, but is a healthy dish that lets the veggies in it shine.

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients

• 4 - 5 leeks, cleaned carefully (lots of dirt can collect in between the leaves) and then sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• About 5 small potatoes, sliced
• 5 cups veggie broth (I used homemade veggie broth) – I like my soups thick, if you like your soup “soupier,” use more broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• A dash of nutmeg
• Chives (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onions for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the leaks, potatoes, and garlic and mix everything and sauté for about 5 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
3. Add the broth to the pot, cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 15 – 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft.
5. Puree the soup with an immersion blender.
6. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon, a dash of nutmeg and additional salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve the soup and sprinkle with chives.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that I used to get a CSA box for years. Then sometime last year, there were a few mix ups and issues involving my credit card, so when we went on a longer vacation, I canceled. But I always meant to sign up for a CSA again, and I had been looking into several options, but I never acted on anything.

So when my old CSA contacted me, it didn’t take much convincing to make me sign up again. And I’m glad I did because the box always makes me eat veggies and fruits I probably wouldn’t buy or eat at that moment.

To make a CSA work for you, it’s important to have a plan so that produce doesn’t get “lost” in the fridge. More than three years ago I wrote a post about how to make a CSA work for you.

Here is what was in this week’s box and what I did with it. I realize how very lucky we are in California that we have year-round CSAs and Farmers’ Markets.

• apples – apple pear sauce
• pears – apple pear sauce
• mandarins – lunches
• lettuce – big salad with cashew dressing on Friday for hubby and me; the lettuce was super fresh and delicious. In the past I learned that it’s best to use the lettuce right away.
• broccoli – this will be one of the kid’s lunch and dinner veggies for the week. He loves raw broccoli.
• bok choy – stir fry with onions and mushrooms
• kale – I made kale chips, and they were gone soooo fast.
• carrots – carrot sticks for lunches
• potatoes – potato leek soup
• leeks – potato leek soup

Questions: Do you like soup? If so, what’s your favorite soup? Links are welcome! What’s your favorite “rediscovered” veggie at the moment? I love leeks, but for some reason I haven’t bought them in a long time. I’m really glad that they showed up in our CSA box this week!

Be well,
Andrea