Leek, Potato and Cauliflower Soup

This soup is super easy to prepare – the amount of veggies that you use in the soup is up to you.

Our family likes all the variations of this soup.

When cooking the soup, I usually put all the greens (dill, parsley, celery leaves) in a strainer basket which is placed in the pot with the soup ingredients, and hung over the side of the pot for easy removal.  Later on, towards the end of the cooking, I take out the strainer basket with the greens, and discard them. At that point, I add chopped fresh dill  to the soup  – which gives a great fresh flavor – and makes for a pretty presentation.

I learned about this strainer basket from my friend Etti, and I am forever grateful. I used to have to dig out the many greens from the soup, which was a real chore. With the strainer basket which you hang on the side of the pot, this step is SO easy.

Thanks Etti!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 onions, chopped
• 3-4 leeks (white part only), chopped
• 1-2 potatoes peeled and cut into pieces
• cauliflower (as much as you like) – either frozen or fresh cut into flowerettes
• 1-2 whole carrots 
• flat leaf parsley
• celery leaves and stems
• lots of fresh dill
• salt
• pepper
• Some chicken soup stock, or 1-2 Tablespoons chicken soup powder
• a pat of butter and/or some olive oil

Preparation:

1. Cut the leeks lengthwise down the middle. Then chop into small slices. Place in big bowl of water with a splash of vinegar or coarse salt, and let stand for a while. This will help remove any impurities or sand that may be hidden in between the layers of the leeks.
   • Rinse and strain.
2. In big soup pot, put butter and/or olive oil, and add the cleaned and sliced leeks, and the chopped onions. Lightly fry, but do not let the onions and leeks get brown; they should only soften and get a bit transparent.
3. Add about 10 cups of water – more – or less, depending on amount of vegetables that you use.
4. Add potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces, cauliflower flowerettes, and carrots. Leave the carrots whole, so that they can be removed at the end of cooking. I usually remove them, but if you want to blend them together with the cauliflower, potatoes, onions, and leeks, that is also fine. If you plan to do that, cut the carrots into pieces, so it will be easier to blend.
5. Add chicken soup stock, or 1-2 Tablespoons chicken soup powder.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Into a strainer basket with chain and hook, put in as much fresh parsley, dill and celery leaves as you can stuff into it; close and place strainer basket into the soup, hanging the hook with chain over the side of pot for easy removal at the end of cooking.
8. Cook till all the veggies are soft. Adjust seasoning. Remove the basket with the greens. Optional: remove carrots. You may save the carrots, and slice them and add to the soup if you like.
9. With electric “magic wand” hand blender, blend the soup till it is completely smooth (without the greens that you cooked in the strainer basket).
10. Adjust seasoning again, return to very low flame, and cook a few minutes more.
11. Before serving, add some more fresh dill to soup, finely chopped.
12. Enjoy!