Roasted Leek Soup

Brrr, baby it's cold outside!  As the temperature drops it is the perfect time to warm up with some yummy soup.  I love my soup hearty, savory, and exploding with flavor.  Normally when you hear "hearty" one might think heavy and cream, but that doesn't have to be so.  You can clean up your favorite soup recipe and keep it creamy and hearty with out it including 'heavy cream'.  My favorite way to do this is by roasting vegetables and making a puree, then just add any stock, and followed by spices. There you have a savory and hearty soup with all the cream.

This season I am working on cooking more sustainable which includes buying in season vegetables and fruits. Leeks are a hearty root vegetable that is usually harvested in the fall and makes for a great winter veggie. So I was cruising my local grocery store and I thought what the heck those Leeks look interesting.  So I bought some and decided to experiment with a new soup recipe to add to my repertoire.

Ingredients
2  organic Leeks
1 small organic cauliflower head
1 chopped onion
1/2 garlic head
2 cups Organic Vegetable Stock
Olive Oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp paprika
3 TB grass fed butter
salt and pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  You will want to clean the leeks and chop them.  I had never cleaned a leek before but it was not that hard. 

Chop off the green tops and the root. 

Then dice the entire stalk of leek.  

Then soak and swirl around in a bowl of warm water to get all the grit off of them.

(Just for a few minute)

Drain and then rinse in a colander.

On a baking sheet place your chopped leeks, chopped cauliflower and chopped onion.  Cut the 1/2 of a garlic head in half and place on the baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.Mix with your hands so all the veggies are gently coated.

The bake for about 20 min or until golden brown and soft.

Then add veggies to your food processor or blender.  Blend the veggies till in a smooth puree.  I added a little vegetable stock to help keep the puree smooth.

Melt butter in your stock pan.  Then add your puree and vegetable stock.  Add your spices.  Heat to a simmer and stir occasionally to keep from burning.  Simmer for about 30 min and then serve.  Feel free to add extra vegetable stock if you would like a thinner soup.