POTATO LEEK SOUP

Adapted from The Great American Detox Diet, by Alex Jamieson (Rodale Press, 2005).
When the maker of the film Supersize Me ate nothing but food from a well-known fast-food chain three times a day for a month, the diet nearly killed him. His fiance, a vegan chef and the author of this great cookbook, brought him back from the brink with her healthy cooking. Here is one of her delicious creamy soups made without dairy, but sure to satisfy. Leeks give lots of iron-rich mineral nourishment, while garlic and onions add their immune-boosting and heart-healthy benefits. Paired with a crisp salad, Creamy Potato Leek Soup makes a perfect supper.

• 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
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2-3 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves

Heat a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat and add the oil. Add the leeks, onion, and sea salt and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the garlic and stir well. Cook for 1 minute more. Add the potatoes and vegetable stock, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 20 minutes. 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. Transfer the blended soup back to the original soup pot and warm over low heat until heated through. Serve hot. Serves 4 - 6.