Mediterranean Potato Leek Soup from @TinaKashian1

Hello from TINA KASHIAN: Leeks are native to the Mediterranean and Middle East and there are Egyptian tombs that picture leeks. A member of the onion family, leeks are still often used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. I love soup and this potato and leek recipe is my favorite because it does not use cream. It’s healthy and hearty.

 Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced

3 leeks, sliced into ½ inch half moons (white and light green parts only)

2 ribs celery, diced

¼ cup dry white wine

2 red potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks

6 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare and clean the leeks first. Cut the leeks in half, slice into ½ inch moons (white and light green parts only). 

 

Place in a bowl of cold water. All the dirt from the leeks will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Scoop the clean leeks from the bowl.

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the leeks, celery and garlic and sauté for five minutes, stirring frequently. 

 

Add the potatoes, broth, wine, bay leaves and stir to combine. Cook on high until the soup begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

 Remove the bay leaves. Season with salt and black pepper. Enjoy!

 Hummus and Homicide is the first book in my Kebab Kitchen mystery series. 
http://amzn.to/2ADDHqr

When Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she’s getting—the scent of funnel cake, the sight of the wooden roller coaster, and the tastes of her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. But murder wasn’t on the menu…

Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn’t mind. She doesn’t even mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen. Her parents have put in a new hummus bar, with every flavor from lemon to roasted red pepper. It’s fun to see their calico cat again, and to catch up with her old BFF, who’s married to a cop now.

She could do without Heather Banks, though. The Gucci-toting ex-cheerleader is still as nasty as she was back in high school…and unfortunately, she’s just taken over as the local health inspector. Just minutes after eating at the Kebab Kitchen—where she’s tallied up a whole list of bogus violations—she falls down dead in the street. Word on the grapevine is it’s homicide, and Lucy’s the number one suspect…

Recipes Included!

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Tina Kashian is an attorney and a former mechanical engineer whose love of reading for pleasure helped her get through years of academia. Tina spent her childhood summers at the Jersey shore building sandcastles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business, as her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two daughters.

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