Yummy soup!

I've been itching to make something with my leeks lately, and so this week decided it was time to dig some up and make some soup! This rainy, chilly weather is definitely great for soup...so let's get started.

From the garden:
- 3 medium sized leeks. Dark green parts removed; the white and light green part halved and sliced thinly
- a good handful of Niro Di Toscana kale (the really dark green stuff on the left)
- a couple big leaves of swiss chard - the stalks separated from the leaves and chopped, the leaves sliced thinly
- parsley
- chives
- a clove of freshly dug up garlic
- a pattypan squash that was looking lonely on the counter - halved and sliced thinly


From the pantry/fridge/etc:
- 2/3 of a box of chicken broth that was leftover from something else
- 1 chicken boullion cube (could have left this out to reduce saltiness)
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 can butter beans
- water to add to the pot
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- and a box of Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper for Brett, who in no way would touch a leek potato kale soup with "all that green stuff in it"


Start by sauteing the leeks in olive oil over low-to-medium heat until they get tender (maybe 8 minutes?). Season with a little salt and pepper. Add the chopped swiss chard stem during this period so it tenderizes a bit. Add in the remaining ingredients, adding enough water to cover all the veggies by about an inch, bring to a boil, and then simmer for about an hour. It probably could've gone much less, but I was busy and letting it get REALLY soft.

Once it's cooked to the tenderness you like taste and adjust the seasonings. Then I whizzed it briefly with the immersion blender to make the overall soup somewhat creamy, while still leaving plenty of whole beans and chunks of potatoes and squash.

Enjoy!