8.4.10

The soup from the last Ontario vegetables before spring…




Here is a recipe from Alex. I love your soup.

With all the warm weather we’ve had so far, our eyes and taste buds have been waiting impatiently for some spring vegetables – asparagus, wild leeks, radishes, sugar peas. Realistically, it takes a month of such good weather for anything local to grow, and so the spring vegetables that you see in the grocery store now are likely to be brought in from Mexico, or a similarly distant producer.

This soup uses the last of the Ontario vegetables that can be stored over the winter. Leeks, potatoes and the season’s first chives are made into a smooth, light green puree. Carrots, beets, squash and parsnips and all are cooked to for a garnish for the soup. The presentation of the soup reminds us that local spring produce is just around the corner and it might just be the last time we use these vegetables until late summer, and early fall.

For the soup you will need:

1 leek, white part only, washed and sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves peeled garlic
3 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery.
1 bunch chives, sliced
1 tblsp. olive oil
2 litres cold water.
Salt to taste.

For the soup garnish, you will need:

.5 cup multicoloured carrots, sliced
1 golden beet cooked, peeled and sliced
1 candy cane beet cooked, peeled and sliced
1 red beet cooked, peeled and sliced
.5 cup butternut squash
.5 cup parsnip, peeled and sliced

Method:

Over medium heat, add olive oil and add all the sliced vegetables except for the potato. Cook without colouring the vegetables, until they are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the sliced potatoes and cold water, increasing the heat to high. Simmer the soup until all the potatoes are soft. Add salt to taste. Using a hand blender, add the chives and puree the soup while hot.

Set up a steamer to cook the carrots, parsnip and squash. Squash takes the longest to cook, and the carrots and parsnip may be steamed together. As the vegetables are cooked, cool them and set them aside.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the steamed vegetables and a drizzle of olive oil, serve at once.

This soup is vegan friendly.

1 comment:

jlee said...

that's a pretty frickin nice soup