Potato Leek Spinach Soup

This soup is the healthier cousin of vichyssoise. Potatoes, leeks, and mushrooms simmer together in just enough water to cover, then puree with fresh spinach for that bright emerald-green color. No cream, no butter, no oil: just vegetables, water, and a little skim milk if you need to thin it.

The mushroom addition is what makes this more than a standard potato-leek soup. Three-quarters of a pound of quartered mushrooms simmer with the potatoes and melt flavor into the broth. Without them, this would be a thinner, more one-dimensional soup.

Spinach goes in only after the cooking is done, pureeing in raw with the cooked base. This preserves the spinach’s vivid green color and most of its nutrients, which long cooking would destroy. The result is a soup that’s a deep, clean green rather than the olive-drab that overcooked spinach produces.

Clean the leeks thoroughly. Grit hides in the inner layers and will ruin the whole pot if you skip this step.

Kitchen Tips

• Split the leeks lengthwise and rinse under running water, fanning out the layers. Sand is everywhere inside leeks.
• Work in batches when pureeing. A crowded food processor gives you chunky soup.
• If the soup is too thick, skim milk thins without adding fat. Water works in a pinch but dulls the flavor.
• Season generously at the end. Low-fat soups need more salt than creamy ones to taste balanced.

Variations

• Add a clove of garlic during the simmer for deeper savory depth.
• Stir in a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt at serving for tang and body.
• Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and toasted pine nuts for a dressier presentation.