King of Vegetables

Srila Prabhupada once said that the humble potato is the king of vegetables. It is so versatile and of course being Irish I'm biased! I love potato's, baked, steamed, roasted, pan fried, mashed, in salad and soup . . . I was just in Ireland and made a creamy potato soup on a cold spring day for my family and it was a hit with my teenage siblings . . . knowing how fussy teens can be, its a good one to have up your sleeve. So hope this one becomes a favorite of yours too.

Gopi's Potato Soup

10 medium sized potato's washed, peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
1 small parsnip washed, peeled and chopped
3-4 medium stalks of celery, washed and chopped
8 - 10 fresh nettle sprigs and or fresh basil leaves washed
2 cups milk
3/4 litre spring water
1/2 tsp asafoetida
3/4 tsp black salt
1 & 1/2 tbsp sea salt or to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch paprika (optional)
1 - 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
few sprigs fresh herbs e.g. parsely, marjoram washed

Put water on to heat, when boiling add in the vegetables and cook on medium heat til soft. Add in nettle leaves/basil, milk, seasonings, and butter stirring over low heat til butter is melted. Turn off heat, add the fresh herbs and salt and then blend to a smooth consistency with a soup stick or blender. Serve hot with wedges of fresh homemade buttered bread. Yummy! :-)