Protein Boosted Potato Leek Soup topped with Roasted Seeds

There is nothing like a hearty bowl of soup to get rid of the chills. Although I hate to say it, I think that soup season is upon us. The nights have been really cool, and its only a matter of time before the pumpkins are out and the scent of burning wood fills the air. Don't skip the seeds for this recipe. They add a nice crunch and flavor which should not be missed.



Protein Boosted Potato Leek Soup Topped with Roasted Seeds
makes approximately 5 servings

2 Tbsp olive oil or butter (or a mixture of the two)
1 bunch leeks
3 C vegetable broth
1 C water
2 1/2 C diced new potatoes
1/2 C quinoa
1 C rinsed and drained cooked chickpeas
1 C almond milk ( or milk of choice)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 C unsalted pumpkin seeds

1. Clean the leeks and cut off the green tops. Slice the bottoms.  
2. Place the vegetable broth, water and green tops of leeks in a large saucepan and heat to a simmer. I didn't want to waste the tops of the leeks and thought this would be a good way to get some of their flavour. Continue to simmer until you are finished step 3. 
3. Heat the oil and/or butter in a frying pan and saute the light green/white parts of the leeks until softened. Remove from heat. 
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the leeks\ tops from the saucepan. Add the potatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, and half of the leek bottoms to the saucepan, and keep at a low simmer until the potatoes and quinoa are cooked (15-20 minutes). 
5.While soup is simmering, roast seeds on a rimmed baking sheet in a 400F oven for about 10 minutes. Check the seeds frequently to ensure that they don't burn. 
6. Remove the soup from heat, and using a hand blender, puree the soup. Stir in the almond milk and the rest of the leeks and return to heat. If you prefer a thinner consistency, you can add more milk or water at this time. 
7. Serve the soup hot, topped with roasted seeds. 

Approximate nutritional information for 1 C

cal 350

fat 15 g

     Sat fat 1.4g

carbs 45.8g

     fiber 6.9g

     sugar 3.5g

protein 10.3g