I have yet to meet and eat a potato that I don’t like. I know, it’s in my DNA. Growing up in Germany, we had our main meal at midday and potatoes were always part of it. The inspiration for this soup, or really –  the way I like to make it for myself – this stew , came from the memory of a soup my mother would have made. Her’s would have been more “soupy” and would not have had beans or corn it. I think that you will savor the recipe that ensued below. I like to use creamy yellow potatoes for a  smooth, velvety mouth feel, but choose whichever ones you like.The corn will give it a tiny touch of sweetness, without being overpowering. The beans and Dijon mustard add to the creaminess.  As with many soups and stews, I think this one gets better the next day!

Makes 4-6 servings

Prep time: 25 minutes       Cook time: 30 plus minutes

Ingredients

 1 large onion, diced

1 leek, white and green parts only; halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise, rinsed well

6 cloves of garlic, minced

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (homemade or store-bought)

8 small yellow potatoes, skin on, cut into bite sized pieces

2 15-ounce cans cannellini  beans, drained & rinsed

1 cup frozen sweet yellow corn, thawed

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

¼ tsp. hot pepper flakes

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried rosemary

¼ tsp. black pepper

5 oz. of baby spinach

2 + Tbsp of Dijon mustard

1 tsp of low-sodium tamari

Directions

• Heat a large soup pot on medium heat. Add onions and leeks and water sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and hot pepper flakes and cook for another minute.
• Add herbs and black pepper, stir and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute
• Add broth, potatoes, beans, peas, and corn and herbs.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. If you like a thick soup, remove the lid the last 8-10 minutes during simmering.
• Add Dijon mustard and tamari and adjust to taste.
• Add the spinach and cook through until spinach has wilted.This should only take a couple of minutes.

Notes

This soup gets better the longer it simmers. I like it very thick, but adjust liquid to personal taste.

You can substitute other greens like kale or chard for the spinach, but you will need to adjust the cooking time (kale takes longer, to save time you can steam it ahead while the potatoes are cooking and then add at the end)