Potato and Leek Chowder

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp margarine*

1 onion, minced

1 leek, finely sliced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp rice flour*

1 1/4 quarts vegetable stock

2 1/2 cup diced potatoes

1 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup young green beans, sliced

1/2 cup rice milk*

salt and pepper

*This recipe is gluten-free and vegan to suit the dietary needs of my roommate. The original recipe called for butter, all-purpose flour, and milk.

Directions:

1. Melt the margarine in a large saucepan. Add the onion, leek, celery, bell pepper, cilantro, and basil. Cook over a low heat until the vegetables are soft.

2. Add the flour and stir evenly. Add the stock and stir until blended. Continue to stir frequently, and bring to a boil.

3. Add the potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

4. Add the green beans and simmer for an additional 15 minutes until all vegetables are tender.

5. Remove bay leaf and stir in rice milk. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

I bought a soup cookbook last Wednesday. You should expect to see many soup recipes on here in the coming months since I'll be making plenty of them to keep myself warm this winter! I'm anticipating many rainy days here in Oregon, and I think soups are the perfect rainy day meal!

I chose this recipe in particular because I went to the Lane County Farmer's Market yesterday and I picked up some leeks for super cheap while I was there, so I needed to figure out what to do with them! I expect I'll be making plenty of trips back to the farmer's market; I found lots of wonderful fresh fruits and veggies there.

This recipe was really good. The soup is nice and hearty, and quite aromatic. It rained today, and eating a hearty soup like this makes me feel warm and cozy.