Leek and Mushroom Soup
My husband John has a lactose intolerance, but this Leek and Mushroom Soup makes him think he is eating a cream soup. I love the earthiness that the mushrooms bring to the recipe. You can experiment with the types of mushrooms that you use. Soup is always a good dish to have on hand this time of year. This soup may be served cold in the summer.
Making soup is a good way to clean out the refrigerator and today my mushrooms needed cooking. I usually buy the large brown mushrooms at Superstore. They are good for stuffing and will keep in the refrigerator for a week. I have a few tricks to keep mushrooms fresh: keep packaged mushrooms in their original container. For large packages, after opening replace the plastic film and poke a few holes in it for air circulation. Fresh loose mushrooms should be stored in paper bags, and most grocery stores provide them.
Growing up we harvested mushrooms with my grandparents every fall. I loved the smell of the woods and the little button mushrooms. My nonna made a simple sauce using our marinara preserved sauce and these mushrooms. Simple and delicious, I can still taste it every time I see the little wild button mushrooms.
The ingredients are simple.
Toasting the olive oil, garlic and onions with the spices. The kitchens smells so good.
Next the potatoes go in to meet the toasted onions and garlic. They soak up this flavour.
Mushrooms add an earthy feature to this dish without overpowering the leeks.
Loving the colour now.
The broth is brown and meaty; I give it a taste and all the flavours pop!
I pulse the soup and plate it. A little mushroom cap filled with yogurt and dressed with fennel fronds and olive oil add a touch of elegance to the dish.
Leek and Mushroom Soup
A nice warming soup on a wintery day.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic quartered
- 1 large onion
- 2 leeks thinly sliced
- 2 large potatoes diced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- 3 cups broth vegetable, chicken, or beef
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk or cream Optional
- yogurt dressing
- whole mushroom caps dressing
- olive oil dressing
- Fennel Fronds chopped
Instructions
-
Heat oil in a medium sauce pan.
Add the garlic, onion and Italian seasoning and sautee for a few minutes.
Next put in the potatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and cook until they are softened and golden.
Place in the leeks and add the broth.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and pulse in a food processor until smooth.
Ladle a generous portion into a bowl.
Take a little mushroom cap and fill it with Greek yogurt.
Dress with chopped fennel fronds and a little olive oil.
Recipe Notes
This soup is creamy without the milk or cream, but you can add some if you like.
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