Winter Vegetable Soup
Creamy winter vegetable soup loaded with potatoes, carrots, spinach, cabbage, and leeks in a bacon-enriched broth. Half pureed for velvety body with chunky texture in every spoonful.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minWhen the cold sets in, this is the soup you want simmering on the stove. Bacon renders down to build a smoky base, then leeks, onions, and celery soften in butter with tarragon and thyme until the whole kitchen smells like comfort.
Potatoes and carrots simmer until just tender, spinach and cabbage go in for a flash, then half the pot gets pureed and stirred back in. You end up with a soup that’s velvety and thick but still has real chunks of vegetable in every bite. A swirl of cream at the end ties it all together.
Ready in under an hour and hearty enough to serve as a main with crusty bread on the side.
Kitchen Tips
- Render the bacon slowly over medium heat to draw out maximum smoky flavor before discarding
- Don’t overcook the potatoes and carrots; you want them tender but not falling apart before the puree step
- Add the cream off the heat or over very low flame to keep it from curdling
- This soup thickens as it sits overnight, making next-day leftovers even more satisfying
Ingredients
Directions
In large soup pot, cook bacon until fat is rendered (5 minutes), remove and discard.
Add butter, then leeks, onion and celery.
Cook over low heat until wilted (15 minutes).
Season with tarragon, thyme salt and pepper.
Stir well.
Add stock, potatoes and carrots.
Simmer until tender but not mushy (15 minutes).
Add half the spinach and the cabbage, simmer 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
Purée half the soup in a food processor or blender and return to pot.
Simmer over low heat and add the remaining spinach and the cream.
Heat well but don’t boil.
Adjust seasoning and serve.
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