If you’re thinking of growing leeks in your garden this season, go for it! But start early, because it’s one of the vegetables that take a long time to mature, like four to seven months! The good news is that they grow upright and don’t require a lot of space, so can plant four or five in a sunny spot and forget about it until they’re ready. While part of the onion family, it has a much milder taste, and you can prepare by thinly slicing and sautéing with olive oil, and add a few chopped tomatoes, just for fun. They’re also great in soups, and since I have several fat happy carrots to harvest so what better thing to make but a carrot and leek soup, topped with feta cheese and crispy bacon and sage? Yum!

I started by harvesting…

Then I sliced the carrots lengthwise, thinly sliced the leeks, laid them flat in a tray with a little olive oil and garlic powder sprinkled on and roasted on 425 at about 40 minutes.

Once that was done, I took a saucepan with about 1 3/4 cups water, a chicken bullion cube and a dash of salt and waited for a boil. Added the roasted veggies and a handful of raw cashews to thicken the soup a bit more–it makes a really good substitute for potatoes, which I don’t normally eat.

I simmer all the ingredients for about 10 to 12 minutes and then transfer the mixture to my Vitamix and blend it until smooth. Meanwhile, I cooked up some nitrate-free bacon and with the leftover grease, I sautéed fresh sage leaves, which make the delicious and crispy! (Saute for a long as it takes for the leaves to turn dark green.

Then I crumpled the bacon into pieces, sprinkled on the sage.

Now my soup is a complete meal, with both beneficial vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates and protein. The fiber in the veggies also keeps me full for hours. This dish can be easily made ahead and travels well in tupperware. Just put the bacon and sage in a plastic sandwich bag and sprinkle it over when you’re ready to eat.