let it leek
If you’re like me and you crave soups year round, including a warm day in June, this flavorful springy leek soup is right up your alley. It’s teeming with flavor from the leek, caramelized lemon juice, and plenty of fresh dill. Packaged gnocchi is a quick and easy way to take this soup from a side to a full meal. Keep it on the lighter side by using nutritional yeast instead of parmesan, and toss in some spinach to wilt for some extra veg.
⟶ the recipe
springy leek soup with gnocchi
ingredients
2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
1 lemon, halved
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
6 cups vegetable broth
1 package gnocchi
2 cups spinach leaves
Handful of fresh dill sprigs
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
45 minutes
Total time
1 hour
4 servings
instructions
Heat some oil in a frying pan, and cook about a quarter of the leek slices, until browned and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.
In a large Dutch oven, heat some oil on high, and add the lemon, cut sides down. Sear lemon until deeply browned, and transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat, and add the butter. Once butter has melted, add the remaining leek slices and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, and lemon halves. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, then use tongs to squeeze the lemon juice into the pot and discard the peels.
Add gnocchi, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cooked through and gnocchi float to the top.
Remove soup from heat, and add spinach until wilted. Top with the reserved crispy leeks and serve with a handful of fresh dill.
⟶ recipe notes
- This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit magazine with a few modifications
⟶ modifications
- The original recipe called to add a parmesan rind while the soup simmers. I omitted that here, instead opting for nutritional yeast
- I had spinach on hand, but you can use a different type of green leaf in this soup if desired. The original recipe calls for kale, but you could also try swiss chard
