Potato Leek Soup

My mom seems to pack a ton of random vegetables every time I see her. This past week, I got a huge bag of stuff that I haven't managed to go through yet. I think they're all starting to go bad... because I really can't keep up.  In it, I found a leek. I've never cooked with a leek before... I just thought they were a glorified green onion (still think it is...) I've heard a lot about potato leek soups.. that soup seemed so fitting for another cold windy rainy day..... I have potatoes that are probably going bad.. and this one leek thing... I whipped out my go to cookbook and saw that I had all the ingredients for "saffron soup."

I went to Seattle last september and stopped by my favorite spice shop... "Market Spice" in the Pike Place Market. I bought so many random spices and flavorings which got me so excited! One of them was saffron. I was always to hesitant to buy saffron because of the price.... well, on vacation, I seem to splurge just a little more than usual. My little container was around 7 bucks.. which is probably the same cost as ones you buy at trader joes... and I'm pretty sure I didn't use enough in this recipe. I hate how a lot of the recipes call for X tsp of saffron... uh ... they're threads... it's so hard to measure... plus 1 tsp is quite a bit of saffron.... because I'm still trying to keep my (meatless) cooking adventures under 5 bucks a meal....  :(

I was really pleased with this soup! I'm not really a soup fan, but lately, that's all I've been making. I think it's just an easy nutritious one pot meal. I'm making good use of my new pot...it lives on my stovetop... I'm probably just using it a lot to justify buying it now.. rather than later.

Saffron! 

My culinary haul :) .. a pretty cheap one too! I love buying as much as I want... which usually means.. just a little bit. :)

Potato Leek Soup

Makes 3 servings 

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion sliced

1 leek, chopped up into 1 inch pieces
1 potato, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups water mixed with 2 tsp chicken bouillon ( or 2 cups stock)
1 small pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and peper to taste

1 tbsp white wine
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup heavy cream

1. In a dutch oven, or heavy pot, heat up the oil,  and add the garlic and onions. Saute until soft, and before they get brown.
2. Add in all the leek, potato, stock, and spices. (Reserve the wine, lemon juice, and cream for later.) Cover pot and check after 10 minutes to see if the potatoes are tender.
3. Transfer to a blender, and add the wine. Puree until smooth, and add in the lemon juice and heavy cream. Adjust the spices if necessary. Garnish with some crisp crumbled bacon!