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<p>No matter how many dazzling things we have the good fortune to eat in our lives, we often remember the simplest meals with as much power and affection as the fanciest. A humble, pureed vegetable soup is among those particular pleasures. Also, Proustian prose aside, if you&#8217;re feeling lazy, you can get from a few ingredients to deliciousness in no time.</p><p>The only work involved here is remembering to stir the leeks fairly often for 20 minutes. You&#8217;ll want to keep them on medium-low heat and take the full amount of cooking time so they become meltingly tender and only lightly browned; turning up the heat to rush the process may result in them burning, and they won&#8217;t get as lushly soft over higher heat.</p><p>You could absolutely add some fresh herbs here, from basil to thyme to plain old parsley if you want a different twist, but taste the soup as-is first. You may very well want to stick with the simple version where the flavor of the leeks shines through unobstructed (it&#8217;s a bit richer than you might think). If you do want to add fresh herbs, they can be added at the end when you puree the soup, or just strew a few leaves, chopped or whole, on top of each serving.</p><p>Use vegetable broth and the soup is vegetarian. Skip the cream (and use an extra tablespoon of oil instead of the butter) and it is dairy-free and vegan. It can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Either reheat over low heat, or serve chilled. It will thicken in the fridge, so may need an extra glug or two of broth or water.</p><p>___</p><p><strong>Silky leek soup</strong></p><p>Start to finish: 40 minutes</p><p>Serves 4</p><p>___</p><p>1 tablespoon unsalted butter</p><p>1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling</p><p>6 large leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and well rinsed</p><p>1 garlic clove, minced</p><p>Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste</p><p>1 (14.5 ounce) can less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth</p><p>3 tablespoons heavy cream</p><p>Chopped fresh herbs to serve (optional)</p><p>___</p><p>In a large pot, heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Add the leeks and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and saut&#233;, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes until they are very lightly browned and quite tender. Remove a few tablespoons of the leek mixture and set aside. Add the broth and 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the leeks are very soft, about 10 minutes.</p><p>Puree the leeks and liquid in a blender or food processor until completely smooth, and return to the pot. Do this in two batches, transferring the first half to a bowl if necessary (too much hot liquid in a blender or food processor is not a good idea). Stir in the heavy cream, and taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve chilled. Place a small mound of the reserved saut&#233;ed leeks on top of each serving, and give each bowl a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of any minced herbs you like. Season once more with salt and pepper.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Silky leek soup is a humble, pureed vegetable soup that is as memorable of a meal as the fanciest of dishes. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_AP18016695793323.jpg</photo0><caption0>Silky leek soup is a humble, pureed vegetable soup that is as memorable of a meal as the fanciest of dishes. </caption0><photoCredit0>Laura Agra via AP </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Silky leek soup</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Katie Workman</p><p>The Associated Press</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Nutrition information per serving:</strong> 184 calories; 86 calories from fat; 11 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 23 mg cholesterol; 541 mg sodium; 20 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 3 g protein</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, &#8220;Dinner Solved!&#8221; and &#8220;The Mom 100 Cookbook.&#8221; She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Cooking On Deadline: Silky leek soup