Leeks

The stars of the show - Leeks!

I found a great recipe online for Potato-Leek Soup. David Lebovitz posted this recipe on his blog and what I liked most about it was that it didn't use chicken broth. Instead he uses only water. I didn't have any potatoes on hand but I didn't let that stop me - I decided to substitute with brown rice.

Leeks tend to hold a lot of dirt and grit - so the first step is prepping the leeks.

First trim off the roots then make vertical slits along the leeks without cutting the the root bulb.

 Next, fan out the stems and make sure to check each piece for any dirt that may be in between the leaves.

They definitely need a good washing.

Change the water as it gets dirty - this is the third rinsing - now the water is relatively clear and it is time to chop the leeks.

One final rinse for good measure.

Then add 3 Tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom of a Dutch oven. My current favorite olive oil is this one.

Farchioni Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Add the leeks to the pot (medium heat) and stir frequently until they go from this - 

 To this - 

Ack! Camera problems!

Thyme goes in next - I put in about 3 teaspoons (I like thyme) and some black pepper. Let that sit until it becomes aromatic then add 6 cups of water and 2 bay leaves. At this point I added in some salt and a 1/2 a cup of uncooked brown rice.

Put the lid on the pot and simmer until the rice is tender. 

About halfway through the cooking time (I let it simmer for 1 hour) I decided it needed a hint of sweetness so I added in a carrot.

 I let it continue to simmer for 30 more minutes.

Time to go fishing...

Fishing for bay leaves.

After the bay leaves are removed - it is time for the immersion blender.

Be careful not to splash.

The pureed brown rice added a nice creamy feel to the soup. It was as comforting and satisfying as a soup made with cream. I would definitely recommend changing up the herbs to suite your own taste. The dogs did not get any of the soup as onions can cause anemia in dogs - yikes.

A garnish of greek yogurt and broccoli leaves.