Lavender Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Juice of half a lemon (4 tablespoons)
5 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lavender flowers
1 clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions
To make the dressing
1. In a bowl add the lemon juice, salt, mustard, lavender, garlic and balsamic vinegar and whisk
2. Slowly drizzle the olive oil continuing to whisk until all of the ingredients are added.
Note: You can add onions, that you would put in the salad, to the dressing and it will take the sharp edge off the onions
Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
· 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (or preferred oil)
· 1 tablespoon vegan butter
· 1 small onion, diced
· 3 large leeks, cleaned well & thinly sliced (white & light green part only) *See note
· 5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
· 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
· 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
· Fresh ground pepper, to taste
· 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
· 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
· 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
· 5 cups vegetable broth (low sodium)
· 2 bay leaves
· 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
· 1 cup canned coconut milk (or any unsweetened plant-based milk)
Toppings Ideas
· Green onion , chopped
· Pieces of cooked potato
· Fresh ground pepper
Directions
1. Make sure leeks are washed well first. *See note on instructions
2. Heat the oil, butter and a pinch of salt in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks & onion, sauté until softened, about 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and coriander. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the vegetable broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Raise heat so it starts to simmer. Now reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
5. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Stir in the coconut milk and optional lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add more to taste.
6. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy. You can also use a regular blender and carefully blend in batches. Before blending, set aside a few pieces of potato for the garnish.
7. Serve in soup bowls and top with chopped green onion, fresh ground pepper and a few pieces of cooked potato.
Notes
*Leeks can be very dirty inside the layers because they are grown in sandy soil. To clean thoroughly, cut off the dark green part and discard (or save for stock). Cut off the roots and slice the stalk lengthwise in half. Now slice the entire leek into pieces. Place in a small bowl of water and swish around to release the dirt. Place in a colander and drain well.
* If you don't have vegan butter, you can replace it with olive oil.
* If you don't like coconut milk, my second choice for this recipe would be unsweetened soy milk, because it has a richer & creamier texture, but any plant-based milk will work.