Creamy (No Cream!) Asparagus & Leek Soup

You trust me, right? You've been cooking and baking off my blog for sometime now and I know you think the recipes I share are very tasty, yes? Okay, that's good because I need you to really trust me when I tell you that this soup, containing nothing but vegetables and seasonings, is surprisingly delicious!!!! It's not just, "yeah, this isn't bad for a healthy, vegan soup; I guess I'll eat it because it's good for me." But more like, "are you kidding me there is nothing in this amazingly creamy soup but veggies?"

Skeptical? Try for yourself and let me know what you think!

This is another beautiful recipe from Kimberly Snyder's book The Beauty Foods Detox (definitely a book worth purchasing!!):

1 Tbsp + 3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided <I used 4 cups of broth>
3 small or 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3 cups chopped leeks, both white and green parts
1 cup chopped celery
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed & cut into 1-inch pieces
high quality sea salt, to taste <I started with 3/4 tsp of salt and then added a bit more after tasting it at the very end>
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
chopped fresh parsley as a garnish, optional

Heat 1 tablespoon broth <I must admit I used 1 Tbl olive oil to cook the onions & leeks in instead of the 1 Tbl broth> in a large cooking pot over medium-low heat and saute the onions and leeks for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the celery and asparagus and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the rest of the vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat, partially cover and allow to simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Let the soup cool, transfer to a blender and blend in batches until it's the desired smoothness. <I pureed mine completely till it had a creamy, velvety texture>

Add the soup back to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Adjust seasonings to taste. 

Spoon into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a side salad and a nice hearty piece of whole grain bread. Enjoy!