Easy
Leek Soup – a Quick, Tasty Treat
Imagine looking up from your desk, stomach rumbling, and wondering what to have for lunch. Something substantial enough to keep you until teatime, but not so heavy you’ll be yawning all afternoon. It’s a situation where my mind tends to say “soup” more often than not. Quick to put together, tasty and comforting enough to serve as a welcome boost, this easy leek soup is one of my favourites. And better still, it takes barely fifteen minutes from start to finish.
Leeks are undoubtedly one of my favourite vegetables. Less biting than onion and endlessly versatile, I cannot image my kitchen without this fragrant, savoury member of the lily family. If you’ve ever followed a lorry carrying leeks - try Lincolnshire or Cambridgeshire if you’re curious - then you’ll know the scent will make your mouth water. And the aroma only improves when you cook your leeks, let them dissolve into velvety goodness with nothing more than olive oil or butter and a pinch of salt.
Leeks aren’t native to Britain, or even Europe. They originated in Central Asia, have been known and loved since ancient times, and travelled west via Egypt and Greece. The Romans were great fans and lavish consumers of leeks. Roman Emperor Nero was even said to believe that eating leeks would improve his singing voice.
A Warming Bowl of Easy Leek Soup © essentially-england.comLeeks spread through Europe and across the channel to Britain during the Middle Ages, and while I have no evidence that eating them helps budding singers, science has shown that leeks are rich in vitamins and minerals, aid digestion, and can even help guard against certain cancers and seasonal cold and flu. None of which would matter, though, if leeks weren’t also tasty, comforting, versatile, and delight to use in the kitchen.
Fortunately for us, leeks are all versatile and easy to use. They’re also easy to come by, as they’re grown in the Welsh borders, in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, parts of Lincolnshire, the Vale of Evesham, and Lancashire. Wherever you are in England, you’re rarely far away from growing leeks. And that’s a great comfort if you love easy leek soup, leek and potato soup, baked leeks, and leek and chicken pie as much as I do.
What Do You
Need To Make Easy Leek Soup?
Fortunately, not much. Soups rarely need much kitchen equipment, and you can get away with a vegetable knife, a soup pot, and a wooden spoon for making easy leek soup. Oh, and a ladle, bowl, and spoon to serve and enjoy it, of course. And if you love your soup smooth and creamy rather than chunky, then a stick blender will be your friend.
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To make easy leek soup as a quick lunch for two you’ll need:
- A tablespoon of butter or olive oil
- 2-3 leeks, both green and white parts, washed, trimmed, and sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 litre water or milk
- Salt and black pepper
- Grated nutmeg to serve
Chopping Leeks © sanapadh | Getty Images canva.com
How To
Prepare Easy Leek Soup
Melt the butter in your soup pot over a medium heat, or heat the oil if using, then add the leeks and cook gently until they soften. This can take as little as 3 minutes or as long as 10, depending on your leeks. The finer you’ve sliced them, the faster this will go. Keep stirring the leeks and don’t let them brown.
When the leeks are soft, sprinkle the flour over the leeks and stir until you have a dry paste.
Add a little milk or water and stir until absorbed. Add a dash more and repeat until you have a soup of your preferred consistency. Don’t be tempted to pour in all the milk at once. You’ll only end up with lumpy soup!
Now season with salt and pepper, turn down the heat and simmer the soup gently until the leeks are perfectly cooked.
Test the seasoning.
Serve the soup as it is, dusted with nutmeg, or use a stick blender to blitz the soup into a creamy consistency first.
Easy Leek Soup © essentially-england.comThis easy leek soup is delicious as it is, but it also lends itself to many embellishments. Here are some ideas:
- Instead of dusting your soup with grated nutmeg, fry two diced rashers of bacon until crispy and spoon on top
- Stir a handful of grated cheddar cheese into your soup before serving or simply pile it on top. Stilton or Shropshire blue cheese are just as tasty an addition and will change the vibe of your soup completely
- Lightly toast a handful of chopped walnuts and sprinkle on the top.
As you can see, Easy Leek Soup – while very quick to put together – is a dish that adapts itself easily to your mood and the contents of our cupboard. The quantity can be doubled just as easily, and the soup freezes well, too.
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For more ideas for tasty puddings return from our Easy Leek Soup page to the recipes page.
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