The rentrée has happened and Paris is back in action. The sidewalks are full of fit, tan Parisians, fresh from the long summer holiday and full of energy. I have always felt that most of the work in France gets done in the months between the rentrée and Christmas. After that, it’s more or less a matter of getting through the rest of the year until the summer holidays begin again.
All that energy calls for something simple, healthy, and sustaining on the occasional night when you find yourself at home. This is a simple leek and potato soup made greener and fresher with a very generous amount of spinach and parsley added right at the end. It looks like an enormous amount of spinach going in, but it wilts almost immediately and, once blended, adds enough liquid to loosen the soup base and give it a lighter texture.
The lemon cream finishes the soup. Rubbing the finely grated lemon zest with a little salt releases the oils before the cream is added, giving it plenty of lemon flavor without the acidity of lemon juice. It is best made the night before, so the zest has plenty of time to infuse the cream. If you only have an hour, that is fine too; the lemon flavor just won’t be quite as pronounced. Whip the cream just before serving and spoon it over the warm soup, where it slowly melts in. And because it is added at the end, you can decide for yourself just how indulgent you want to be.
Spinach, Leek & Potato Soup with Overnight Lemon Cream
Ingredients
- Lemon Cream
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- 1 lemon
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- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
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- 1½ cups (360 ml) heavy cream, cold
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- Soup
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- 30 g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
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- 3 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, about 300 g (10½ oz), well washed and finely sliced
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- 1 medium floury potato, about 200 g (7 oz), peeled and diced
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- 750 ml (3¼ cups) chicken or vegetable stock
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- 300 g (10½ oz) baby spinach
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- 35 g (1¼ oz) flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems
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- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Method
- 1. The night before, finely grate the zest of the lemon with a Microplane directly into a bowl. Add the salt and rub it into the zest with your fingers until fragrant. Pour in the cream, stir, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- 2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt and cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not colored.
- 3. Add the potato and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potato is completely tender.
- 4. Just before finishing the soup, whip the cold lemon cream to soft peaks. Keep refrigerated.
- 5. When the potato is tender, remove the soup from the heat. Add the spinach and parsley, pushing the leaves down into the hot liquid with a spoon. Stir just until the leaves have wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes, then blend immediately with an immersion blender or in a countertop blender until completely smooth and bright green. Taste and season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the cream will add both salt and lemon. If the soup is thicker than you like, loosen it with a little hot water or stock.
- 6. Serve warm with a generous spoonful of cold whipped lemon cream.
Notes
Make Ahead
The leek and potato base can also be made a day ahead; reheat it before adding the spinach and parsley.
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https://www.charlottepuckette.com/recipes/first-courses/spinach-leek-potato-soup-lemon-cream/
