Spring Soup Series : Leek, Potato, Pea & Thyme

A few weeks ago I posted up a recipe for Roasted Red Pepper/Tomato soup, and this week's recipe is cut from the same cloth. It's hearty, it's colorful, it's healthy and it's perfect for spring.

Again, this is a recipe born of roasting vegetables and then slapping them into a blender with some vegetable broth, and then pulsing until smooth. This isn't a difficult recipe, but when brought together, the flavors are complex and satisfying. It also solves the problem  of using vegetables before they go bad. I roast all the veggies together, soup them into something wonderful and then, voíla! The peas and leeks aren't peering at me from the vegetable drawer all week...taunting me. "C'mon Alex, we're about to SPOIL! Better start cooking, lady!"

Anyway, for Terrence I added about 2 cups of rice to the finished product and some goat cheese to the top. (He's a growing boy!) And for me I ate it as is. Which is the beauty of this recipe. It's easy to adapt to our different diets, but I can still eat it without additions because it's this thick, almost gravy like soup that is extremely filling.

Gather:
4 trimmed leeks, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 medium sized gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1.5 cup carrots, I used baby carrots, sliced lengthwise (hotdog style!)
2 cups peas, cooked. (I used fresh that I boiled myself. Canned peas are a little...gross)
1 48oz carton vegetable broth
Olive oil for roasting
Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (to taste)
Salt and Pepper

Method:
-Roast all vegetables with oil, salt, pepper and thyme in a 385*F oven until soft. The leeks on one baking sheet and the potatoes and carrots on another. Leeks take about 15-20 mins, Potatoes & Carrots- about 30
-In small batches, pulse vegetables with vegetable broth until smooth.
-Pour each batch into a pot set to simmer on the stove.
-Allow all soup to simmer, (adding more thyme, salt or pepper if desired), until flavors have melded together.

Enjoy with rice, goat cheese, or without any garnishes. Welcome the new green flavors of the season! See you back here Friday.

xx