Vegan Eats

Merry Christmas/Giftmas, friends! This soup is total comfort food, good for the holiday season. Sweet leeks, hearty potatoes, and the earthy flavour of thyme; this soup is especially warming on the coldest of winter evenings.

Leeks can be dirty, so make sure you clean them well. A lot of sand and soil gets caught in the all layers of leaves. Cut off and discard the dark green tops. Cut the light green and white leek in half lengthwise, then slice horizontally. Put the cut up leeks in a large bowl, fill it with water and slosh them around so the sand falls to the bottom. Remove leeks and drain the sandy water. If your leeks are super dirty, you might have to repeat the process.

The Wine Guy (a.k.a. my father) says that this soup is best enjoyed with a glass of either the Strewn VQA Sauvignon Blanc 2008 or Frogpond Farm VQA Organic Vidal 2008. Serve wine well chilled!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium-sized leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used Yukon Golds)
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups low sodium or homemade vegetable broth
1 heaping tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced*
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced*

Instructions:
1. In a stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, leeks, celery, and carrot. Sauté for 7 or 8 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add the sea salt, black pepper, and potatoes. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the white wine and let cook for about a minute.
4. Add the vegetable broth and turn the heat up to high. Once boiling, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, cover the pot and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh thyme and rosemary. Add a tiny bit more olive oil for some extra richness. Using a handheld stick blender, purée the soup in the pot until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a bit of water. (If you don’t have a stick blender, use an upright blender and purée the soup in batches.)
6. Season to taste with more sea salt and black pepper.

*If you haven’t got any fresh herbs on hand or can’t be bothered to go out and buy them, substitute 1 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary. Add the dried herbs with the garlic, leeks, celery and carrots at the beginning of the cooking.