With a ton of articles popping up all over the place with fear mongering headlines likes “Don’t eat this” , “Eat that”, “Just Kidding, a New Study Says it’s Okay to Eat it Now”, It’s no surprise that people are confused now more than ever about what they should putting on their plates. All this negative media has us discriminating against foods that flat out don’t deserve it. I’m talking about the new fad of FOOD SHAMING.

FOOD SHAMING: Pre-judgment or forming an unfavourable opinion in relation to the nutritional value of a food before becoming aware of the relevant facts. Food Shaming is often influenced by the internet, “a friend of a friend” or just plain bad information.

So how does one deal with all this negative nelly bologna? Get informed. Try for yourself. Listen to your body and see what works for you. Each and every one of us is biochemically unique, so why would we assume that if our pal Sally can’t eat bananas, that we can’t either? It’s important to tap in and to listen to what YOUR body needs.

Just to be clear, I’m standing up for FOOD. The real stuff straight from momma earth. Not the fake “PHOOD” impostors that have infiltrated our food supply. Man made flavours, processed foods, additives, preservatives, artificial colourings & sweeteners aren’t legit foods, so feel free to discriminate against them all you want. Actually, I encourage it.

Today I’m taking a stand for my little tuber buddy, the potato. He has fallen victim to food shaming for far too long. It’s time to relax people. It’s okay to love the potato once in awhile, if it works for you. Now, I’m not promoting a “meat & potatoes” diet, I’m simply reminding you that demonizing foods without just cause is a habit we need to ditch. I eat potatoes maybe once a month tops and typically it’s in the form of this rich tummy huggin’ soup because my body says its okay for ME.

Does the potato match up to the almighty Kale when it comes to nutrition? Not quite, but the humble potato does offer up some nutritional value of it’s own when prepared without the typical the mounds of butter, cream, cheese & bacon bits or the deep fried bath in rancid oil. Potatoes are a good source of Vitamin B6, potassium, copper, manganese and surprisingly Vitamin C! 

Bottom line: remember to make love, not war with your food! Food is our friend, not our enemy. So in honour of the potato, I’ve whipped up this soup recipe to share with you. This recipe was my first intro to cooking with leeks and it’s safe to say I’ve gone a bit ga-ga for them. If you haven’t used leeks before, get on it! They have a light oniony taste and get nice and tender when cooked. And look at how damn purdy they are!

When working with leeks, it’s important to clean them really well. Dirt gets all up in their business. Do this by cutting them in half lengthwise, fanning them open and rinsing thoroughly. 

Potato Leek Soup

2015-04-23 11:59:35

Save Recipe

Print

Ingredients

1. 2 Large Leeks
2. 2 Tbsp Grass-fed butter or Ghee (*Coconut Oil for a vegan option)
3. 4 Cups Organic Bone or Vegetable Broth
4. 4 Cups Potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces
5. 1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
6. 1 tsp Sea Salt
7. 1 tsp Dried Thyme
8. 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
9. Green Onions or Fresh Parsley for Garnish
10. Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Slice leeks lengthwise, fan open and rinse thoroughly. Like really thoroughly. These guys are usually pretty dirty.
2. Remove the bottoms and the tough dark green tops.
3. Slice the white and light green parts into 1/4 inch pieces.
4. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
5. Add leeks and stir until well coated in butter. (Mmmmmm...)
6. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low.
7. Cook leeks until soft, (About 8-10 mins)
8. Stir in the broth, thyme, dried parsley, pepper, sea salt and potatoes.
9. Increase heat and bring to a slight boil.
10. Reduce heat back to low and simmer for 20 mins until potatoes are tender.
11. Add half of the soup to a blender and pulse until it reaches a creamy consistency. (Or use an immersion blender)
12. Add blended soup back into the pot and stir. You can blend more or less of the soup to reach the desired consistency.
13. Top with fresh parsley, green onions & some S&P to taste.
14. Get it in ya.

By Heather Allen

Heather Allen http://www.heatherallen.ca/