SOLE Food: Potato Leek Soup

This potato leek soup is one of those simple recipes that takes just a few ingredients and turns it into something greater than the sum of its parts. It makes a perfect SOLE (Sustainable Organic Local Ethical) meal because local & organic potatoes and leeks are both readily available during the winter and because this soup can be made using my frugal-stock method. 

You can, of course, use any vegetable or chicken stock you have on hand to make this soup. If you are frugal minded though, I encourage you to start a stock-bag in your freezer. You will be surprised how quickly vegetable ends, peels, and wilted bits will fill up a gallon bag kept in the freezer. Because no one in my house in a vegetarian, I add chicken wing tips, backs and bones to the bag for extra flavor.

What I like best about this freezer-stock method is that is sustainable and ethical at its core, for what is better than reducing waste and using what you already have? 

When the bag is full of tasty bits - onions, garlic, leeks, carrots, kale, parsley, celery, fresh herbs, chicken backs - pour it into a large pot (I don't bother defrosting first), cover with just enough water that everything is submerged. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and simmer for at least 30 to 45 minutes. Add salt near the end, otherwise it may become too salty as it reduces from simmering. 

Potato Leek Soup

Serves 4

2 cups of diced potato

2 cups of diced leeks

1 tablespoon of butter or oil

4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

salt to taste

 optional: 1/2 cup of whole milk

Cook the diced potato and leeks in the butter, in a medium sized pot over medium heat. After about 5 minutes, add the black pepper and then the stock. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potato pieces are soft enough to break up easily. Taste the soup and add salt to taste. 

Use the back of a wooden spoon, or a potato masher, to break up most of the potatoes into the broth, while still leaving some pieces in the soup. Add the milk if you want a creamier soup, and bring back up to temperature before serving. 

SOLE notes: The Washington grown organic potatoes and leeks were sent to my doorstep by Spud.com You can read more about my weekly SOLE meals here. 

In quilting news...

My friend Meghan made this beautiful quilt for a contest recently. It's a great illustration of modern quilting: allowing a level of creativity with fabric that is not stifled by traditional patterns or rules.  

Meaghan is a master at working with solid colors, while I rely on the ease of matching fabrics that have lots of pattern and colors! In this quilt, the color stip pieces are sewn on to a background piece and have loose edges, which you can see if you look carefully at the first photo. The leaves are layered on top of the background strips.