speaking of leeks

last night, my Book Group ladies came over for our monthly meeting. it was a bit of a spontaneous decision to have it at my house, and i wasn't planning on making much of an elaborate meal. but it was so wet and rainy and just plain miserable, i thought the ladies who were brave enough to come down the driveway deserved something in the way of a reward.

i foraged around in my fridge, and this quick and delicious soup waiting for them:

Cream of Leek n' Spinach Soup

3 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs minced garlic
6 - 8 leeks, chopped thin
2 bags fresh spinach, baby preferred
2 boxes organic veggie broth
2 cups light cream

croutons for garnish... i like pumpernickel because i think they look nice against the soup.

chop the leeks into thin little rings and saute in the olive oil with the garlic until soft and transparent. add the broth and allow the mixture to come to a slow boil. reduce heat to a simmer. add spinach. when spinach is bright green, add a few tablespoons of broth to the cream. allow to mix, then add cream to soup in small batches. DO NOT ALLOW SOUP TO BOIL once you add the cream. if you wish, you can puree this soup.

only one of us read the book but everyone loved the soup!