Potato, Leek, and Red Bell Pepper Soup

This is a great soup for cold, rainy fall lunches; it goes

well with some crusty toasted herb bread with butter.

Ingredients:

4 large leeks, leafy section and roots removed, cut into 1/4" thick disks

1 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart vegetable stock

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika

3 - 4 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy cream

For garnish:

1 - 2 tablespoons of sour cream

1 tablespoon Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

Directions:

1. Sautée lightly leeks in butter in frying pan over medium heat; remove and put aside;

sautée garlic lightly and remove; repeat with red bell pepper.

2. In large 4 - 5 quart soup pot, mix leeks, garlic, bell pepper, potatoes, vegetable stock,

salt, pepper, and paprika; heat on medium high to boiling, then lower to simmer, cover,

and cook for 45 - 50 minutes or until potatoes are done, and remove from heat.

3. Use immersion blender or food processor to purée mixture until smooth.

4. Add cream and stir; adjust seasonings to taste.

5. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, a tablespoon of chopped Italian parsley,

and a sprinkle of smoked sweet paprika.

NOTES:

1. Olive oil or peanut oil can be used for the sautéeing instead of butter.

2. chicken stock should work for this as well as the vegetable stock.

3. Instead of the hot paprika, hot pepper flakes or cayenne pepper can be

used instead, as can various forms of hot sauce. It also occurred to be

after preparing the soup that harissa-- employed with judicious restraint --

could very well work, also (that's what I'm going to try next time, in fact).

4. This soup can also be served cold, I would think (at least, other versions

of leek and potato soup can be, so I imagine this one could, too); it does keep

well for several days in the refrigerator.