Leek Soup

Uh oh, we have a leek.

{snicker}

I bought my first leek last week...er...i like to seek new veggies...cuz i'm a geek. 

And i'm out.

Okay, so this is not a vegetable I grew up with.  I didn't really even know what they were until a few years ago, but even so, I tend to go for veggies I'm familiar with.  But i thought i'd go out on a limb and grab a bunch. 

The first thing I did was to cut the end off.  That's always a good place to start.

Then I cut it in half longways.  See, this way, you can properly expose all the layers and give it a good wash.

You don't want any of that dirt to end up in your soup.

Once it's halved and washed thoroughly, slice it across into small segments. 

With the heat set to medium high, throw leek pieces in a pot with some chopped celery, onion, and zucchini. 

Drizzle some olive oil and stir...the veggies will start to look a little weak and feeble.

Pour vegetable stock into the pot.  Crank up the heat to high.

Season it!  I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and hot pepper flakes. 

Also very good in soup: worchestershire sauce!  Give it a good splash. 

Once the soup starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium low and let it simmer for about 7 minutes.  And that's it!  It's ready to serve!

Leeks are normally kinda oniony, but when made into a soup like this, they get a bit milder, so it's really quite delicious and flavorful without being overwhelming.  I also liked it because unlike other greens that tend to completely wilt in soup (like spinach), leeks are stalky enough to hold its shape even after boiling. 

Make this soup if you're looking for a simple, vegetarian soup this Lent :)

Have a wonderful week!