Vegan Potato Soup - with cilantro!

Alright, I confess to being a total liar when I've said that I was going to start posting again and didn't. In my defense, it is so much easier to be inspired in the spring and summer when surrounded by all the beautiful garden produce. It's not too late to make a New Year's resolution, right? Me being an accomplished procrastinator and all, I figure late February  is about the right time. 

So before I get into the recipe, a few things that have been going on with me recently (because I know you are bursting with curiosity. Do try and contain yourselves.)


1. Two weeks until the Little Rock Half Marathon...my legs have been sore since Christmas.

2. I have recently become addicted to Pinterest. Seriously, someone may need to stage an intervention. But hey, at least it cuts down on Facebook time and you get so many cool ideas. If only I could get away from the computer long enough to try them... 
 
3. We bought ourselves a juicer for Christmas after being inspired by the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Planning a juice fast in March after the half marathon.

4. In an effort to cut down on toxins from everyday commercial products, I have started researching DIY natural products from laundry detergent to face wash. I'll let you know how it goes. If anyone has any suggestions, please do tell. 

5. And finally, on a more serious note, God has answered some prayers in our life recently concerning various matters. We have been really blessed. 

Now, on to the soup. Admittedly, I don't have a very precise recipe to give for this. I usually just keep adding stuff until it tastes good and I don't always remember what that is. The real reason I'm posting this is because I was so excited by how good adding cilantro to it is! I got this idea from my dad who is trying to watch his salt intake. He said that adding cilantro gave it so much flavor, he didn't really miss the salt. I admit though, I did use salt as well, but I think it helps cut down on what I would normally add to potato soup, which is probably enough to turn Lake Ouachita into the Red Sea...I also use Yukon gold potatoes and cook them in vegetable broth instead of water. The Yukon gold potatoes have a better, creamier texture and more flavor and you don't need to peel them. 

So here is a rough idea of what I use for a big pot:

1 lg onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped 
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
about 5 or 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, (maybe more if they are small) cut into chunks
enough vegetable broth to cover the vegetables in the pot (if you run out, you can always add water)
several tbsp chopped fresh cilantro 
salt and pepper to taste  (I also add some Cajun seasoning, season salt, or Greek seasoning depending on my mood, but I could not tell you how much, just keep tasting)
some hot water on hand to thin it out if needed  


Put all the chopped vegetables in the pot (except the cilantro) and cover with broth. On high, bring the vegetables to a boil and then let boil for about 20 minutes or so. You want the potatoes to be soft enough to smash easily. I just use a potato masher and mash until I reach a consistency that I like. It could be quite thick at this point so I add some hot water until it thins out how I like it. Now add some seasonings. I like lots of black pepper in my potato soup. You might want to hold back on the salt and let everyone salt their own bowl after the cilantro is added. Once the soup is in individual bowls, sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top and stir in. Then add more salt or pepper if needed. 


I think the potatoes are creamy enough on their own and don't need added cream or milk, but if you wanted to, you could use some soy creamer and stir it in after the vegetables are mashed. 

Adding the cilantro is really tasty and different. So good on cold, winter nights.