True to my Roots- Potato Leek Soup

Tonight is Tu Be Shvat, the Birthday of Trees in Judaism.  It's pretty awesome that we have a dedicated time for environmentalism and appreciating nature.  I used to think, gee why would we celebrate nature in the dead of winter when nothing is growing?  But of course, it is now that we can appreciate how deeply rooted the trees are even when they are not in bloom.  The holiday serves as a greater metaphor for reminding us to connect to our roots as a people.  I'm celebrating by cooking something with deep roots- the ever infamous potato- the one that gave Dan Quayle a bad rep.

This soup is my bread and butter- my friends ask for me to make it all of the time.  It is simple, hearty and suites everyones dietary needs! Feel free to experiment with different types of potatoes and see which you like best- i usually try new ones at the farmers market and it surprises me every time :)

Vegan Creamy Potato Leek Soup ( Adapted from The Great American Detox Diet by Alex Jamieson)

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts washed and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 cups chopped yellow onion (Roughly one onion)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes or (about 1 pound), peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups vegetable stock
2-3 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat and add the oil.

2. Add the leeks, onion, and sea salt and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion begins to turn translucent.

3. Add the garlic and stir well. Cook for 1 minute more.

4. Add the potatoes and vegetable stock, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 20 minutes.

5. Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion/stick blender to blend the soup in the pot or ladle the soup into a blender, 1 cup at a time. Blend the soup with the fresh rosemary leaves until smooth and free of chunks. Pour smooth soup into a heat-proof bowl and continue until all of the soup has been blended.

6. Transfer the blended soup back to the original soup pot and warm over low heat until heated through. Serve hot.

Serves 4 – 6