Early spring vegetable soup

Look for fresh spring vegetables to make this delicious soup.

Contributed by Preston Maring, MD


Early spring vegetable soup

In the fall, you see a lot of the color orange in the market. In the spring, green predominates. This really simple vegetable soup recipe offers a thick, green soup. With a piece of crusty whole-grain bread and a butter lettuce salad, you've got a delicious and satisfying meal.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 4-5 small leeks, white part only, sliced or 2 big ones
  • 1 medium russet potato, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 cups of snow peas or sugar snap peas, "strings" removed or 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1/4 bunch parsley, chopped
  • 1 small bunch spinach or chard, chopped
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Combine leeks, potato, and celery in a soup pot with 1 cup of water and a teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil then simmer covered for about 10 minutes. 
  2. Add the peas, parsley, spinach or chard, and sorrel leaves and cook for a couple minutes until the big leaves wilt. 
  3. Add 6 cups vegetable stock and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. 
  4. Puree the soup in batches adding a little more stock or water as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Be sure to leave an opening in the lid of your blender covered with a hand towel to let steam escape. A handheld immersion blender could work too but the soup would likely be a little more chunky. If you don't mind chunky, this is easier. 
  5. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

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