Leeks are a new discovery of mine. I only started using leeks in my cooking as recent as a couple of years ago. To me leeks were just another form of green onions so I didn’t bother with them much. But then Hitesh and Anjali picked up a bunch of leeks from the farmer’s market one day, and asked me to make something with it. I looked up a few recipes and picked the easiest one to make which happens to be soup.

I didn’t even know how to cut leeks in the beginning, I had to figure that out first.  Basically, the edible parts of the leek are the white parts and not the dark tough green portions of the leeks. Leeks have a sweet green onion flavor and turn buttery smooth when cooked. Leeks taste wonderful in a spring risotto made with peppers and arugula. I will post this recipe when I get a chance. But here I have chosen to share with you my Cauliflower Leek Soup with Carrots and Thyme.

What I like about this recipe is how nicely the leek flavor comes through with the cauliflower, and I added carrots to give it some sweetness. I chose to use butter instead of olive oil in this soup because the leeks have such a buttery smooth texture when cooked, it only seemed natural to cook them in sweet butter.  This is a wonderful creamy soup that has a nice fresh green onion flavor.

Leek and Cauliflower Carrot Thyme Soup 

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 2 leek stalks finely chopped
• Thyme leaves – 1 tsp
• 3 tbsp butter
• Salt & pepper
• 1 carton vegetable broth or 5 cups broth

Directions:

• In a pan melt 2 tbsp butter.
• Sauté leeks in butter for 5 minutes until leeks are tender and translucent. Add carrots and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Now add chopped cauliflower florets. Sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme, and mix in.

• Add 5 cups water or broth, cover with lid and bring to a boil for 10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.

• Blend vegetables in a blender and bring back to the stove. Add 1 cup whole milk and stir into the pureed soup, and bring to a slow simmer. Soup is ready.
• Serve with croutons or topped with Parmesan cheese.

Cook’s Notes: If you prefer your soup with chunky vegetables, you can use the hand blender to mash the vegetables into a chunky texture and then add 1 cup milk and heat through.