Creamy But Lean Chicken & Leeks
Submitted by Oratay
A silky puréed leek and rice soup with tender chicken breast, brightened by fresh lemon juice and bouquet garni. Light, elegant, and naturally creamy without a drop of cream.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minNo cream. No cheese. No heavy roux. The luxurious body of this soup comes entirely from puréed leeks and rice simmered in chicken broth, and the result is astonishingly smooth.
Four fat leeks and celery get softened in just a tablespoon of butter, then simmered low with rice until everything breaks down into a velvety base. A quick spin through the food processor, a squeeze of lemon, and you’ve got a soup that feels indulgent but sits light.
Cubed chicken breast poaches right in the finished soup for the last five minutes, staying juicy and tender. It’s the kind of recipe that proves you don’t need cream to earn the word “creamy."
Kitchen Tips
- Use only the white parts of the leeks and rinse them well. Sand hiding between layers will ruin an otherwise elegant soup.
- Simmer on very low heat so the rice fully breaks down and purées into a smooth, starchy base.
- Cut the chicken into even half-inch cubes so every piece cooks through in the same 5 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice after puréeing to keep the flavor bright and fresh rather than cooked out.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the butter in a saucepan.
Add the leeks and celery and toss together for a few seconds.
Add ½ cup of the chicken broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add the remaining broth and rice and bouquet garni.
Cover and simmer, over very low heat for 25 minutes or until rice is very tender.
Remove the bouquet garni and purée the soup through a food mill or food processor.
Return it to the saucepan, add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
If soup is thin, simmer it down until thick enough; if too thick, add some water.
Add the chicken and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through.
Adjust the seasoning. Portion out and garnish with parsley.
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