LUSCIOUS 6-INGREDIENT LEEK & MUSHROOM SOUP

I'm sorry for not posting for so long... I've been fighting a bad cold and thanks heavens it's almost gone, because now I'm getting ready for some very welcome house guests!.

I haven't been that interested in cooking while I've been sick, but soup is always good, especially when the weather is dreary.  The day before yesterday I was trying to think of a simple soup to make, perusing the contents of my refrigerator for ideas, when I spied a rather large leek that needed to be used, and a bag of cremini mushrooms that were starting to get a bit sad looking, but still usable. I like both leeks and mushrooms very much, so I thought I would combine them.

I wanted to keep it simple and have a slightly "chunky" soup with some creaminess without making an actually creamed (puréed) soup.  I wanted to add a bit of white bean flour to add a little nutrition as well as to thicken the broth. (Two earlier posts about using white bean flour: here and here.)

This is what I came up with and the results were pretty amazing-- this soup is an explosion of flavor, despite the few ingredients, quick cooking, and ease of preparation.

Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S LUSCIOUS 6-INGREDIENT LEEK & MUSHROOM SOUP
Servings: 4

1 large leek, white and green part, cleaned
14 ounces cremini mushrooms
2 Tbs vegan butter (or olive oil) (here's my homemade palm oil-free vegan "Buttah")
1/4 cup white vermouth (or dry white wine)
4 cups rich-tasting "chickeny" vegan broth (I like Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Vegan Broth Paste)
1/4 cup white bean flour
Optional Garnish:
Non-dairy yogurt, whisked
smoked paprika
parsley

Cut the leek across in half, then slice the halves lengthwise in half and then in half again.  Thinly slice the lengths of leek across into little slices. Set aside.

Clean and thinly slice the mushrooms and set aside.

Melt the vegan butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.  Add the leeks and sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add the mushroom slices and sauté with the leeks for about 5 minutes more.

Add the vermouth and boil for 1 minute.  Add the broth and simmer for 15 minutes.

Ladle about 2 cups of the soup (broth and solids) into a blender and add the white bean flour.  With the middle cap removed from the blender lid (to prevent the steam from making the hot mixture explode all over the place!), place the lid in place on the blender container and cover the hole loosely with a folded tea towel.  Blend until smooth.

Scrape the blended mixture back into the soup and simmer for 5 minutes more.

Serve the soup plain, or drizzle it with a bit of non-dairy yogurt (whisked to make it pourable) and sprinkle with a bit of smoked paprika.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 133 calories, 61 calories from fat, 6.9g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 701.3mg sodium, 496.5mg potassium, 13.3g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 4.1g sugar, 5.6g protein.

Enjoy!