White Bean and Leek Soup
The Nitty Gritty:
A hearty yet healthy winter soup.- Level: 2
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Yields: 10-12 servings
- Tags: soup first course
This soup is great for those freezing January evenings. Besides, who doesn’t love an excuse to throw wine into… well, pretty much anything?
Ingredients:
- 28 ounces white beans
- 3 stalks leeks
- 1 cups 2% milk
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups reduced fat chicken stock
- 1 tsp. paprika
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 Tbsp. butter substitute, such as Smart Balance
Instructions:
Rinse the beans under cold water in a colander, set aside.
Thinly slice only the white and light green parts of the leek, discarding the rest.
Melt the Smart Balance (it takes just slightly longer than regular butter) in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and wine, and sauté an additional 30 seconds -- do not overcook. Remove from heat.
In a food processor or blender, puree half the leek/garlic/wine mixture and half the beans. Drain in a colander (to skim out as many of the bean skin remnants as possible). Repeat with the other half of the leek mixture and the rest of the beans. The mixture should be well-blended and not mealy or chunky. Transfer to a large pot.
Over medium heat, gradually stir in the chicken broth and the milk until well-blended. Add additional broth for desired soup consistency.
Simmer soup for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a dash of paprika.
This soup can be made one day ahead and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
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By Lauren McNally
Lauren B. McNally is a New York based consultant and freelance writer who spends most of her free time exploring culinary and oenological pursuits with friends. She originally hails from Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College,spending time abroad at the University of Cambridge in the UK (where she found the dining hall cuisine rather offensive and repulsive, as opposed to the top-ranked Bowdoin Dining Services). Her palate is ever-evolving but Burgundies are among her current obsessions. Her least favorite wine-related phrase: “I don’t like _.” Lauren also enjoys cooking Italian and French cuisine, and has an unnatural obsession with Gorgonzola and pancetta.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is published the first Friday of each month, edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
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