Leek Potato Soup with Coconut Milk

On Christmas morning I made leek potato soup, thanks to some inspiration from my Dad.  It's a hearty winter soup with (you guessed it) - leeks, potatoes, and coconut milk, which reminds me of home and Thai food all in one bowl.

It's delicious.  Unfortunately, I don't think the picture does this soup justice.  


For this recipe you'll need:
several tablespoons of vegetable oil 
3 cloves of garlic, minced
small onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
3 leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 14-ounce cans of chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup regular or light coconut milk (I used light)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound potatoes, chopped in bite-size pieces, cooked
1 tablespoon Trader Joe's garlic and herb butter, or regular butter

Servings: Makes 6-8 bowls  

Directions:
1. In a stock pot, add the vegetable oil and sauté the onion, garlic, and celery for several minutes.  Salt and pepper this layer. 

2. Add the chopped leeks and garlic butter* and sauté until they wither down. Again, add salt and pepper.

3. Next add the broth, coconut milk, cooked potatoes, and another dash of salt and pepper.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Remembering to stir often so the coconut milk does not burn or stick to the bottom of the stock pot.

4. Serve hot and enjoy!

Note:
* We bought some Trader Joe's garlic and herb butter for our Christmas Eve lobster ravioli so I decided to throw some into the soup for another layer of flavor instead of regular butter.  Who am I kidding, we only had one stick of butter left and I needed the whole stick for Yum-Yum Cake.