Description
You will love this rich and savory creamy leak and carrot soup recipe! It tastes like a long simmered stovetop soup and is made with simple ingredients. You will love the sweet and savory earthy flavors in this soup. And knowing it is a quick and easy recipe makes it all the more perfect to serve on a busy weeknight. Don't forget the crusty bread for dunking!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 whole leeks, (1 inch of root area cut off and the dark green top.*)
- 1/2 pound carrots, sliced *
- 2 celery stalk, chopped
- 4 1/2 cups unsalted vegetable broth, stock or chicken broth
- 1/4 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes *optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup half and half, heavy cream or milk
Instructions
- Mince or grate the garlic. Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Wash and prepare vegetables. Add chopped onions and garlic to pot and saute' over medium heat for about 3 minutes, the onion will be lightly browned. Add the sliced leeks and saute' for another 3 minutes.
- Add chopped carrots and roasted red pepper and the remaining ingredients, cover soup pot with a lid. Bring to a low boil.
- Simmer over low heat and cook for 30-40 minutes or until carrots are cooked through. (press a carrot with a fork to see if they are soft)
- Taste soup and adjust seasonings.
- Remove the fresh thyme and bay leaf.
- Using an immersion blender in the soup pot, puree' soup until smooth.*
- Add the milk or cream to soup and simmer until heated.
- Garnish with fresh herbs such as thyme or parsley if desired.
Notes
*Make sure to carefully wash all the dirt from the leeks. There are lots of layers in the leeks. You will cook only the white and light green part of the leek.
*I used rainbow baby carrots specifically for the extra color. You can use any type of orange carrots you prefer.
*If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Let soup cool a bit and pour into blender. Only fill 1/2 way at a time. Hold down the lid and slowly puree the soup. Start with pulses and then blend until smooth.
*The soup will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days in an airtight container. You can freeze it in an airtight container up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on low heat on the stovetop. Stir well since the soup may have separated a bit due to the heavy cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 9.5 g
- Sodium: 1262 mg
- Fat: 9.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3.2 g
- Cholesterol: 26 mg