BALP (Basil, Asparagus, Leek, Potato) Soup

I was inspired after watching Giada De Laurentiis make a beautiful leek, asparagus, basil soup on her cooking show and decided to make a version of it at home!

I added in potato to this beautiful soup to turn it into a little spin on the classic leek and potato soup. Its a great time of year to enjoy soup, and is so quick to make.  This is also a great way to feed lots of people on a budget!

Leeks are right at the end of their season so its a great chance to buy them local! Leeks belong in the allium family of vegetables which is closely related to garlic and onions.  They’re rich in vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin A.  Leeks are a wonderful vegetable to add to your diet for its cardiovascular protective benefits – it contains the flavonoid kaempferol, antioxidants, and folate which all contribute to its cardiovascular benefits.

Here’s the recipe for my “BALP” Soup:

3 stalks of leeks, washed* and chopped (see tip below)

1/2 large bunch of asparagus, chopped

5 medium thin-skinned potatoes, skins washed and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 medium bunch of basil, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

boiled water/vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

*leeks have a tendency to get dirt caught in them – slice them in half length wise and run them under water from the bulb to the leaves to remove that hidden dirt.

Directions

1.  Put a large kettle of water on or in a medium pot, bring 1 1/2 tetra packs of vegetable broth to a boil.

2.  In a large pot on medium to high heat, add olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir around a bit then add all of your vegetables except basil, and season again with salt and pepper.

3.  Add your boiled water or vegetable broth – just until vegetables are covered.

4.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

5.  Remove from heat, add basil, stir around and wait about 2 minutes.

6.  Take your hand blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste (if using commercially bought vegetable broth, little if any salt will need to be added).

This recipe makes about 6 servings

References:

The World’s Healthiest Foods – whfoods.org