Leek Soup for the soul.. or the cold

Soup is a great way to beat the cold or a cold. During the Hubby's recent bought with the ick, I made a pot of Leek soup. Leeks have a very mild onion flavor and look like giant chives. This simple recipe includes the immune boosting powers of ginger, turmeric root, garlic and chicken broth.
 

Here are the ingredients I used in my soup:
2 Leeks Sliced and rinsed very well
1 medium White Potato - cut in to 1/2 inch pieces
2 large cloves of Garlic - minced
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 can of condensed low sodium Chicken broth + 1 can water or 2 cups low sodium broth
an inch of Ginger root (peeled)
an inch of Turmeric root (peeled)
season with Salt and Black Pepper to taste ( I used a Himalayan pink sea salt blend but feel free to use what you have on hand)

To start I sliced the Leeks in half the in 1/2 inch pieces, rinse them in water a couple of times shaking and separating the layers. Leeks come from the ground so they have dirt trapped between the layers. Let them sit in the water for a minute, the dirt will sink to the bottom and the leeks will rise to the top. Do not dump the dirty water over the leeks after they have been cleaned or you will have to repeat the process of cleaning them again. While the leeks are getting over their bath I use that time to heat up 2 tablespoons of Olive oil in a Dutch oven style pot or a soup/ stew pot on medium high heat. Mince your Garlic cloves and add them to the hot oil. Stir the garlic to heat through and become fragrant, do not burn or it will become bitter. Once the garlic is ready, use a slotted spoon to add the Leeks to the pot draining and shaking out some of the excess water. Once all the Leeks have been added stir to toss them in the oil and Garlic. As they start to soften add your Potatoes, Ginger, Turmeric and the Chicken broth + can of water. Bring to a boil for 1 minute then turn down the heat to simmer. Let simmer till Potatoes are soft. Taste and season as needed.

Some side notes to consider...
- A quarter of a teaspoon of Ground Turmeric can substitute the use of the root just know it will give   your broth a yellow hue.
- For more ginger flavor you can grate the fresh ginger in to the soup instead of boiling the whole root.
- An all Vegetarian option can be made with Vegetable broth instead of Chicken.
- Adding a 1/2 cup of cream or milk will give your soup a richer flavor and is great for an elegant dinner party appetizer.

I hope you try this recipe and make it your own. It's a nice change from the traditional Chicken soup..
Stay well and warm!