I just made potato & leek soup last night (previously a leek virgin!) and it's great!

POTATO & LEEK SOUP

3 med potatoes cut into 1" cubes
3 cups leeks, sliced and rinsed
1 large carrot sliced
1 celery stalk sliced
4 c. water (I used low sodium chicken broth)
1 c. milk (I used 2%)
1 1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
thyme
marjoram
basil

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in the water (or chicken broth) and cook ~20 min, covered, until potatoes are tender. Either use an immersion blender or regular one to blend after ingredients are cooked. Return to pot and add milk and seasonings to taste. Can be served hot or cold.

6 servings @ ~150 cals each (my estimate is about 1 1/2 c. per serving)

I upped the calories a little by topping it with crumbled turkey bacon and shredded cheddar (although gouda would be yummy too!)

Another recipe I like to make although not really a soup is Greens & Beans:

GREENS & BEANS

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 head escarole chopped and rinsed (rinse really well b/c it has a tendency to be a little sandy)
1 1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced (I double this)
1 can cannelini beans (white kidney), rinsed
1-2 c. chicken broth or stock (I like mine a little more soupy so I add ~ 2 cups)
2-3 links of hot turkey italian sausage, remove casing, cook and crumble
salt & pepper to taste

Cook garlic in the olive oil for ~ 1-2 min at med heat, do not brown it. Add escarole (will cook down significantly!), chicken broth and beans. Cover and cook ~10 min at a low simmer. Stir in cooked sausage, salt & pepper towards the end of the cooking. Add additional seasonings to taste. Serve as a side to a meal or with a hunk of bread for a hearty lunch.

LOL, emiloots, is there another ingredient?

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The best kind of potato leek soup is the one with no leeks in it.

Is there a committee or sumpin' to reconsider here, LOL?

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XXXXXXX 7 XXXXXXX 14 XXXXXXX 21 XXXXXXX 28 XXXXXXX 35 XXXXXXX 42
Completed Beck Program-day 42. You’ve met your goal. Congratulations!

OOPS!!! Yeah, potato and leek soup might be better if you added the 3 cups of leeks first, I'll go back and edit the recipe Forgive my dyslexia!

We're short on time a lot and find a pressure cooker to be indispensable. Soups and stews can often take less than a half hour to prepare. Here's a favorite:

We play fast and loose with substitutions and quantities, but it never comes out bad!

Legume and barley soup:

Couple handfuls of green lentils, chickpeas or another quick cooking or pre-soaked legume.

Couple handfuls of barley (pearled is ok, hull-less is best)

A can of tomato product (paste, sauce, crushed, etc), more if you like it tomatoey.

A can of kale greens.

1/2 to 1 bag of broccoli slaw (or chopped broccoli or any other soup compatible veggies you have on hand -turnips are great!).

1 chopped onion.

Leftover lean meat if desired.

Enough water to reconstitute the dry ingredients and then some.

Bullion cube if desired.

A tablespoon or so of olive oil.

Extra good with some oregano, garlic and basil

Bring to pressure, reduce heat and cook for about 20 minutes. Makes many servings. You'll have leftovers for lunches. Freeze it for next week! Can you tell this recipe was written by a guy??