If this is a soup recipe, where are the pictures of the soup? Good question. I find leeks to be quite pretty. The soup, well it looked kinda similar to this one. So pretty leeks it is!
I came across of this healthy recipe for Creamy Leek Soup from the New York Times. Instead of cream, the recipe uses basmati rice to thicken it and it's all blended into a nice creamy consistency after it's cooked. Good stuff.
I happened to have brown rice on hand so I threw that in instead of basmati, and in doing so, had to cook the soup about 10 minutes longer.
Creamy Leek Soup
adapted from The New York Times
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 large leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
7 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
1/2 cup rice
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot and add the leeks and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until leeks are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about a minute, until the garlic smells fragrant. Add the stock or water, the rice, bay leaf and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
2. Purée the soup with an immersion blender or a food mill, or in batches in a blender, taking care to remove the lid or take out the center insert and to cover with a towel to avoid hot splashes. Return to the pot, heat through, and add pepper to taste and a pinch of cayenne if desired. Serve hot or cold. If you wish you can thin out with milk, plain yogurt or a combination of milk and crème fraîche. Garnish with chopped chives or croutons.
If people have never cooked with leeks (which I had never done until about a year ago)... you have to clean them well... slit down the middle and wash and rub out the dirt, especially if they are right from the garden. Also there is a debate (between famous chefs that I read) on which parts of the leek to use.... some like only the white parts but most say the light green parts are fine too... all that to say when you get to the darker green stalk leave that out. A lot of leek recipes also add some regular onion which is good to know if you don't have enough leeks for the amount of soup you want to make.
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