Now 100% Clam Free! Seriously, though, this is a soup that my friend Lindsay would describe as “a la Trogdor“, meaning: using big carefree chops of big easy cheap veggies that practically makes itself. In the interests of full disclosure I must tell you that this soup was made using all the shortcuts below. In the past I have been the person making my own bread and growing my own spinach and creating my own herb blends and I’ve provided options for those of you who wish to go the DIY route; God bless you.

A bunch of filtered water [10 cups or so, depending on the size of your soup pot]

5 russet potatoes, chopped into 1/2″ dice

1 carrot, as above

1 stalk celery, as above

1 shallot, in 1/4″ dice

1 medium leek, rinsed thoroughly, in 1/4″ dice {NOTE: The best way to prepare leeks, which will keep them un-gritty and also give them some of their own steaming liquid to make them tender, is as follows: Take a separate large bowl or deep measuring cup, and chop or prepare the leek as the recipe demands. The deep green ends of the leek are probably a bit leathery, so you can discard them. The best bits are the light green bits and the white bits. But I digress. Put the bits you’ve cut up into the bowl or cup and fill with water, and swish around, and break up the embedded hunks of leek until the grit starts sinking to the bottom of the water-filled bowl…and then walk away. Give them a swish and break-up when you walk by every couple of minutes but for the most part leave them alone. The reason this works is partly because of how leeks are grown [shored up with dirt as they become larger], and it will also create a “deglazing” effect when you put them in your soup. See below.}

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 package fresh spinach, sliced thinly OR a package of frozen chopped spinach

3 cobs’ worth of sweet corn kernels OR one small bag of frozen corn

3 cups of vegetable stock OR one tetrapack of vegetable stock

3 cubes of bouillon or your choice of equivalent [e.g. more stock]

4 or 5 squirts of Braggs’ [OR some soy sauce; not an ideal substitute so just try a tsp and then add to taste]

Herbs of various types: I used 1/2 tsp each of: dried dill, oregano, tarragon, basil and parsley, and a bit of chopped fresh cilantro because that’s what was sitting in the fridge

4 tbsp olive oil

OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup organic milk OR milk substitute [soy or cashew cream best, almond or rice will probably work but not optimal]

4 tbsp all-purpose flour

4 tbsp filtered water

1 tbsp butter or butter substitute [I used Earth Balance]

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and shallot. Add dried herbs and salt and pepper to taste [e.g. a couple of shakes]. Stir to cover and saute for 5 minutes or until shallot is translucent. Add leeks [don't worry about the water that comes along with them]. Increase heat to medium high and stir to wilt leeks, approx. 3 minutes. When it takes a couple of seconds for the liquid to cover the bottom of the pot when you scrape the veggies away with a wooden spoon, add the potatoes and corn. Salt and pepper the potatoes and stir. Saute all vegetables for a couple of minutes or until the potatoes JUST start to adhere to the pot bottom, then add: stock, water to fill the pot, the bouillon cubes, and the fresh herbs. Increase heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer until potatoes are tender.

When the potatoes are soft and almost falling apart [15-20 minutes at least] add spinach. Vegans, “low-fat” cats, and those who prefer a thinner soup take note: It will taste great right this second. Let it simmer for a little while, let it rest, and then mangia. Those of you who are looking for a little more *ahem* back end, here we go:

The key to this step is to make sure that the flour is 100% lumpless. In a medium bowl, add water to flour and stir so thoroughly there are no lumps. Add milk. Stir thoroughly. Add slowly to soup, stirring constantly. “Mount” the soup with butter or butter substitute. Keep on low heat and simmer. Let it rest before serving. Serve with multigrain or rye toasts.

1 Comment »

December 15th, 2008 “It Takes Two To Make It Outta Sight” Faux-Chicken Noodle Soup « Heavy Metta Says:

[...] 3 cloves garlic, minced finely 1 leek, topped tailed chopped and rinsed [for Leek ProTips click here] 2 russet potatoes, cut into 1/3 inch cubes 3 or 4 dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in ¼ cup water [...]

Leave a comment