Viennese Potato Soup

8 servings

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil,
     plus 2 Tbs vegetable broth
• 2 cups (1 large)sliced bermuda onions
• 2 1/2 cups (about 3) sliced leeks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
• 4 pounds (about 8 cups)peeled,
     sliced russet potatoes
• 7 cups fat-free beef broth / boullion
• 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
•    Pinch of ground cardamom
  
  
•    GARNISHES:
• 1/2 pound fresh mushroom, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Broth
•    salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup peeled, diced and cooked carrot
• 1 cup peeled, diced and cooked
     russet potato

Put the 1 Tbs oil and 2 Tbs broth in a large non-stick pot. Add onions, leeks and marjoram and saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes.

Add the potatoes and beef broth, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

Add the buttermilk, pepper, and cardamom. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender.

In a skillet, saute the mushrooms in the oil until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are golden. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix mushrooms, precooked carrots and precooked potatos to soup and serve.

About leeks: Choose those with crisp, brightly colored leaves and an unblemished white portion. Avoid any with withered or yellow-spotted leaves. The smaller the leek, the more tender it will be. Refrigerate leeks in a plastic bag up to 5 days. Before using, trim rootlets and the darkest portion of the green tops (the whole leek is edible, but the darker green portions have a stronger, less pleasant flavor). Slit the leeks from top to bottom and wash thoroughly to remove all the dirt trapped between the leaf layers.

Bon appetit!