Leek & Sweet Potato Soup

This is a nice, simple every-day soup (with leeks! Surprise!) which doesn't take a lot of effort, especially if you are using left-over baked sweet potatoes. Not likely to have left-over sweet potatoes, you say? Well, what you do, is you bake 2 extra ones and don't let them hit the table the first time. So not exactly left-overs, but more plan-overs. It's a good plan, because left-over baked sweet potatoes are so useful, for so many things.

4 to 6 servings
1 hour - 20 minutes prep time NOT including roasting the sweet potatoes

2 cups mashed roasted sweet potato (2 large)
3 large leeks
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons barley OR soft wheat flour
4 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

As ever; it takes between an hour and an hour and half to roast whole sweet potatoes. They should be reasonably cool; peel and mash them very well.

Wash, trim, chop and wash the leeks again. Drain them well.

Heat the butter in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Cook the leeks gently until quiet soft and reduced in volume, but don't let them brown. Add the seasoning and sprinkle the flour over them. Mix it in until no white flecks remain, then slowly stir in the stock. Add the vinegar.

Let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then serve hot. This is the sort of thing that would be good with a dab of sour cream or thick yogurt.




Last year at this time I made Cabbage, Bacon & Quinoa Salad. 

Posted in: Ontario Food