Now that Lent has arrived, many of us will be avoiding meat on Fridays and some will have given up sweets. To that end, I shall be posting some good fish and veggie dishes between now and Easter to help those who need a few ideas about what to make for dinner on Fridays for the next month and a half. Given the winter weather that's returned to Colorado this week, I thought this soup would be a good place to start.
This soup is listed here as traditionally Irish, but other similar recipes exist elsewhere in the British Isles- it's also often considered a national dish of Wales- and in Europe, like the French Vichyssoise. It's a very simple dish, using cheap ingredients common in the British Isles, and has probably been around in some form for centuries, or at least since the introduction of the potato in the 16th century (leeks are said to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans more than a thousand years before that). Whatever its origins, this soup is a wonderful comfort food when served with soda bread on a cold winter evening, and can be made vegetarian! Just pair it with smoked salmon and cream cheese for a fancy and meat-free Friday dinner, or if you're not trying to avoid meat, top it with crumbled bacon!
Ingredients:
- 3 or 4 medium to large red potatoes
- 3 medium leeks
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 4 tablespoons butter
- salt and white pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- heavy cream (optional, for drizzling)
Clean, peel, and 1" dice the potatoes. Clean and coarsely chop the onion and leeks. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables and simmer until they begin to soften, 2-4 minutes.
Add the broth and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly, then blend until fairly smooth with an imersion blender, or in batches in the blender or food processor.
Re-heat the soup on low, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve lightly drizzled with heavy cream.
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