No soup for you… only because we ate most of it!   It has bacon in it and you know how I feel about bacon.

Here’s a Rachael Ray recipe I tried tonight.  It was in her 2-4-6-8 book, but I also see it is online.  I’ve never used leeks, so this was a first for me.  Turned out great and I paired it with a spinach salad and some homemade basil cheese bread.  (My Martha-factor was high today).

(From the website:) Bacon, Leek and Tomato Soup is a soup for any season! It is surprisingly light and colorful and full of vegetables. It makes a simple, flavorful, special lunch or supper that warms you up, soul and stomach. It is especially delicious on rainy days or nights! I first made this for my mom because she and I both LOVE Oscar’s bacon and we wanted a whole pot full of soup that tasted like it! We ate a pot of it while watching movies curled up in the living room of the cabin.

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
6 slices lean, smoky good quality bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 small ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, finely chopped
2 small to medium carrots
3 leeks, trimmed of rough tops and roots
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
3 medium starchy potatoes, such as Idaho, peeled
2 quarts chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Crusty bread, for dunking and moppingHeat a medium soup pot or deep sided skillet over medium-high heat. To the hot pan add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and the bacon. Cook bacon until brown and crisp. Add the chopped celery. Take peeled carrots and lay flat on cutting board. Hold each carrot at root end and use the vegetable peeler to make long, thin strips of the carrot. Chop the thin slices into small carrot bits or carrot chips, 1/2-inch wide. Add the chips to celery and stir. Cut leeks lengthwise and then into 1/2-inch half moons. Place the leeks into a colander and run under rushing cold water, separating the layers to wash away all the trapped grit. When the leeks are separated and clean, shake off water and add to celery and carrots. Stir veggies together, add a bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. While the leeks cook to wilt, 3 to 4 minutes, slice the potatoes.Cut each potato across into thirds. Stand each piece of potato upright and thinly slice it. The pieces will look like raw potato chips.

Add stock to vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add potatoes and tomatoes. Cook 8 to10 minutes until potatoes are tender and starting to break up a bit. Add bacon and parsley and stir. Adjust seasonings. Serve immediately with crusty bread.