Now that it is officially fall, I declare open season of soup (no matter that it is still a balmy 80 degrees during the day here in Philly). I see bowls of vivid orange squash soups in my future. Vats of chicken noodle and beef barley. And buckets of potato leek soup. It's the potato leek that I'm currently obsessed with, ever since I saw Jennie's post on the Roasted Rosemary Potato Leek soup she whipped up over the weekend. Roasting the potatoes before simmering and blending is an inspired idea (and I'm sort of sad I didn't think of it first). But no matter, the idea is out there now and it's deliciousness must be captured and consumed.

Her recipe is after the jump, but please go over and check out her site, as she posted of the soup from start to finish and they are tantalizing.

Roasted Rosemary Potato Leek Soup
A "Straight From the Farm" Original

4 large potatoes
4 large leeks
4 large cloves of garlic
1/3 large onion, minced
3 t. very finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 package of Smartlife Soy Bacon (or real bacon if you want)
4 c. vegetable stock
1 c. light cream
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. butter or margarine
coarse sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Begin by scrubbing the potatoes and dicing them into small cubes (leave the skins on). Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the potatoes out on it. Mince the garlic and sprinkle over potatoes along with 2 teaspoons of the chopped fresh rosemary. Drizzle on the two tablespoons of olive oil and toss well to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper before placing in oven to roast for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and the skins are crisp.

While potatoes roast, trim off dark green leaves of the leeks and wash well. Slice the leeks in half lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Set aside. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the soy bacon for 3 minutes on each side until slightly crisp. Remove from heat and cut into small pieces. In the same skillet, add a tablespoon of oil and of butter. Add the sliced leeks and onion along with a generous sprinkle of salt. Saute until translucent and soft but with some color still.

When potatoes are done roasting, dump them into a large soup pot and add the leeks and bacon. Toss together and then add the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to slightly blend the soup (adjust chunkiness according to personal taste). Slowly stir in the cream and the remaining teaspoon of fresh rosemary. Taste and adjust salt and pepper seasonings (I added about two large pinches of salt and a bit of pepper to mine).

Serve garnished with a few extra roasted potatoes and a sprig of rosemary.

(serves 4-5)