Hearty & Delicious Potato Leek Soup

Serves 6 | 1 hour

I’ve refined this flavorful and delicious soup recipe over many years. My daughter has always loved this soup and begs me to make it, even to this day. I recently made a batch and gave her half. She was in heaven!

The secret ingredient is the Deliciously Dill seasoning (Spice Hunter)! It makes a good soup taste absolutely incredible.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp butter or ghee
  • 8 medium Yukon potatoes (3 lbs), peeled and chopped into 1″ cubes
  • 4 medium leeks, split horizontally and wash; remove tough greens, thinly slice
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 large carrots, peeled, sliced lengthwise into quarters; then into soup size pieces
  • 1 bunch Broccoli crowns, chopped, lightly steamed, and added at the end
  • 4 cups Imagine No-Chicken Broth
  • 2 Not-Chick’n bouillon cubes (Edwards & Sons)
  • 2 cups filtered water
  • 2-3 tsp dried thyme, or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 large bay leaves (remove before blending)
  • 2-3 Tbsp Spice Hunter Deliciously Dill (Take off lid with holes to get the bigger pieces of lemon to pour out. It really adds incredible flavor!)
  • 1/2 fresh lemon, squeezed and added when soup is done (I threw in the lemon skin too)
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne (Taste soup first; add a pinch or two more if you like heat)
  • 1 tsp sea salt (taste and adjust)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper, more to taste
  • Fresh parmesan and finely chopped parsley for topping each serving
  • 3 oz organic baby spinach, sliced thin, and added at the end to pot of soup, or individually to each bowl.

Intructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
  2. Split leeks horizontally, wash the leeks well! They are very dirty on the inside. Remove tough dark green tops and thinly slice the leeks.
  3. Add leeks and potatoes, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Add in carrots, thyme, salt, pepper, and dill; sauté for another 5­-10 minutes.
  5. Add veggie stock and bring soup to a near boil. Reduce to low heat, cover pot, and cook on a simmering low boil for about 30 – 45 minutes. (When veggies are very tender, remove bay leaves and puree 1/3 of the soup in a blender to give the soup a nice creaminess.)
  6. Taste, and add more salt, or other seasonings as needed.
  7. Garnish each bowl with a little fresh chopped spinach and parmesan cheese; serve with a crusty sourdough bread.

Notes

Blending Hot Liquids: I like using my hand-held Immersion Blender. If using a standard blender to purée the soup, fill the blender only halfway with hot soup, cover the lid with a dishtowel, and hold the lid down tight; blend until smooth. Pour blended soup back into soup pot (you can also cream the whole soup).