A simple soup. Something I believe my grandfather would have made when his kids were sick. It is warm and comforting. A soup that will heal colds, flu and fever. Perhaps even (at least I wish), a soup that can keep the bad guys way.

A couple of notes: This is a pureed soup, so don’t worry too much about how nicely you have chopped the veggies before you throw them into the pot. My son did the chopping, it was not pretty. But it didn’t matter.  The soup requires a generous amount of salt. If you are using homemade stock, you will need to add salt. At least I did. My homemade stock is fairly low on the salt scale.  A store-bought variety will not need nearly as much.

Croutons are required. They are the best when they get just a bit soggy from the soup.  I made mine fresh from some day-old sprouted multi-grained bread. Chop the bread into bite-sized cubes, toss with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes, until golden brown on the edges.  They will take on a toasty and dried out quality when they are ready.

Garlic and Potato Soup

(from The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen, Donna Klein)

• A small amount of olive oil to sauté the vegetables
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stock, chopped
• 1-1/2 lbs white, russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, chopped
• Cloves from a whole head of garlic (yes, all of it), peeled
• 6-7 cups of liquid, I highly recommend several cups of a good quality vegetable stock plus water to make the required amount
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Heat olive oil in a large sauté or soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery.  Saute about 5 minutes as the vegetables start to become fragrant and tender. Add garlic, potatoes, stock and water, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add some salt and pepper.  Slightly cover, and simmer until all the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat. Using a blender or a food processor and puree the soup in batches. Careful to vent the blender lid to allow steam to escape.

Return to pot and bring up to serving temperature. Check for seasonings. Serve with chives and croutons.