Leeks have been in the news a lot lately, since they are the centerpiece of a French-style secret for staying slim (live on leeks and the water they were cooked in for a weekend). But Helen Nearing, the great teacher about the joys of a simple life, was making and enjoying this soup decades ago.

She knew that leeks are filled with vitamin and mineral nutrition, and that they cook up into a luscious, vitality-enhancing soup. Try making Lively Leek Soup as a tasty spring tonic for you and your family.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons butter
6 leeks, white and pale green parts only, well-washed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. In a medium soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over low heat and add the leeks, cooking them gently until softened. Add the potatoes and water and simmer one hour.

2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4.