Leek Vegetable Soup

This soup is the perfect accompaniment to the newly arrived autumn chill. Ribbons of fresh leaks serve as the base, which I suppose makes this a first cousin to onion soup. Unlike onion soup which can be loaded with butter and cheese, this variation has zero carbs and fat. It’s just mounds of fresh vegetables coming together in a hearty, flavorful, filling party. It annoys me when soups are unnecessarily fattening. In my opinion they should act as a healthy way to begin a meal, so that we don’t overdo it on the main selections. I served this in my sukkah during the recent holiday of Sukkot and it delivered big time. Cutting and cleaning leeks can seem like an task but I liked it. I recall needing to methodically chop something the day I made this up. This is one of the ways in which cooking is emotionally soothing, much like soup.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

Ten medium leeks (2 pounds) trimmed, sliced, and washed well. Leeks are dirty so I washed them before chopping but after I rinsed them really well in a large colander to be sure.

3 medium carrots peeled and grated or a bag of fresh shredded carrots

One bunch chopped fresh parsley

Three tbsp white cooking wine

Two cups packed chopped kale

Two cups sliced baby Bella mushrooms

Ten cups vegetable or chicken broth

Four fresh sprigs of thyme tied tightly in a bouquet garni cloth

1 tsp and a half of salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oil in a large pot and sauté the leeks and carrots until softened and fragrant. Add the wine halfway through the sauté process, several minutes in.

In a separate pan sauté the mushrooms in two tbsp additional oil until tender and fragrant as well. Add the chopped kale to the mushroom sauté and give that another two to three minutes until cooked. Add the broth and mushroom mix to the leek pot. Add the salt and pepper, as well as the parsley and thyme sprigs. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer until tender and combined, 45 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

I loved how the chopped circles of leeks separated into ribbons during the cooking stages. It’s nice when a soup looks attractive in the bowl. Serve with toasted fresh bread rounds if desired. I’d cut a good loaf on the bias, toast the pieces with a drizzle of oil, then top each soup bowl with what is essentially a large crouton🥖.