This is a lovely soup that I like to make with veggies from the Farmer’s Market and herbs from the garden. It’s nice to serve as a first course or as a main course served with wholegrain bread and perhaps some cheese. Once the veggies are prepped, it’s a cinch to throw together! I have been known to chop up the carrots, leeks and celery the day before, then all I have to do is cut up the potatoes and mince the garlic!
Makes 12 First Course Servings or 6 – 8 Main Course Servings
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. EVOO
3 large carrots, or the equivalent amount of smaller carrots, peeled & sliced
3 large leeks, diced, only using the white parts (see below)
3 stalks celery, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
8 cups chicken stock (see below), or purchased broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh tarragon or 2 tsp. dried
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground white or black pepper
Garnish: fresh dill or cut up chives & or bits of chive blossoms
In a large soup pot, heat butter and EVO; add carrots, leeks, celery, potatoes and garlic; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often without browning; stir in the tarragon, thyme, parsley, 1 tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper.
Add the chicken stock; bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, simmer the soup for 30 – 40 minutes until the vegetables are very tender.
Let the mixture cool for at least ½ hour, then puree in 3 batches, pouring the soup into a clean pot as it’s pureed; heat the soup until hot; season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls; top with garnish.
Helpful tip: You can use the remaining light parts of the leeks instead of, or as well as, onions in other dishes. The dark green stalks can be used in making stock (I often throw then into a bag and then into the freezer until I need them).
Helpful link to Making Stock.
