Hello dear #fruitsandveggiesmonday lovers, I'm back in the game after a few months of absence. I love the contest because it gives me many ideas and wonderful recipes and I'm planning to be a regular participant again.

Today I'm going to share a leek and potato soup that I like very much. The original recipe is not vegan, so I've adjusted it.

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 3 tablespoon oil, olive oil in my case,
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm dice,
• 1 big leek, white and light green part only, sliced and thoroughly rinsed,
• 2 cloves chopped garlic,
• salt,
• freshly ground black pepper,
• water
• 100 ml plant based milk,
• chopped fresh parsley.

Preparation
Heat the oil, add the leeks, sprinkle with salt and pepper, steer on a gentle heat until softens, about 8 - 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes, garlic, water, cover and let it cook till the vegetables are soft, then add the milk and let it cook for 2 - 3 minutes.

Using a blender puree 80 - 90% of the vegetables until smooth. You can puree the whole quantity if you like it more creamy. Serve it with freshly chopped parsley.

Leek has a cultural significance, it's not a coincidence that the original recipe is called Irish Leek and Potato Soup & Wheaten Brown Bread

The leek is one of the national emblems of Wales, and it or the Daffodil (in Welsh, the daffodil is known as "Peter's leek", Cenhinen Bedr) is worn on St. David's Day. According to one legend, King Cadwaladr of Gwynedd ordered his soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an ancient battle against the Saxons that took place in a leek field. The Elizabethan poet Michael Drayton stated, in contrast, that the tradition was a tribute to Saint David, who ate only leeks when he was fasting. Whatever the case, the leek has been known to be a symbol of Wales for a long time; Shakespeare, for example, refers to the custom of wearing a leek as an “ancient tradition” in Henry V. In the play, Henry tells the Welsh officer Fluellen that he, too, is wearing a leek “for I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.” The 1985 and 1990 British one pound coins bear the design of a leek in a coronet, representing Wales. source

Alongside the other national floral emblems of countries currently and formerly in the Commonwealth or part of the United Kingdom (including the English Tudor Rose, Scottish thistle, Irish shamrock, Canadian maple leaf, and Indian lotus), the Welsh leek appeared on the coronation gown of Elizabeth II. It was designed by Norman Hartnell; when Hartnell asked if he could exchange the leek for the more aesthetically pleasing Welsh daffodil, he was told no. source

Perhaps the most visible use of the leek, however, is as the cap badge of the Welsh Guards, a regiment within the Household Division of the British Army. source

In Romania, the leek is also widely considered a symbol of Oltenia, a historical region in the southwestern part of the country. source

It's a simple soup recipe with just a few ingredients, it's ready in about 30 minutes, it's very delicious and healthy.

This is my entry to #fruitsandveggiesmonday created by @lenasveganliving and hosted by @plantstoplanks.