In honor of St. David, whose symbol is the leek, make this nourishing leek and pasta soup! It’s wonderful with crusty bread, especially on a cold day. It tastes best with homemade stock, but canned broth will also do!
We kept this soup simple but it’s versatile.
- Add chicken if you wish to increase protein.
- Chop up a carrot or two and add with the leeks if you’d like more vegetables.
- Chop up green beans and add to the soup pot (when you add the flour).
Wash the leeks and cut them down to 2 inches below where the green leaves separate from the whole stem. Slice the lower stems and bulbs lengthwise in half, then crosswise about 1/4-inch thick. Rinse thoroughly and drain. Melt butter in a heavy soup pot and saute the leeks gently, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Don’t let them brown. Add another tablespoon of butter if needed.
Add flour to soup pot and stir well with leeks. Cook at very low heat for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and ladle 1 cup of the stock into the leek-and-flour mixture in the soup pot. Mix well. Add 2 cups milk to the leek mixture. Cook the mixture gently, stirring often, for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Bring the remaining chicken stock to a boil, add the vermicelli, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the vermicelli is soft. Add the stock and vermicelli to the soup pot, and heat through.
Optional: After serving in bowls, top with grated Parmesan cheese and/or parsley.
