For our first recipe this week I will share a favorite soup recipe in our house "CREAM OF LEEK WITH LEMONBALM"
But first the immune building broth that recipe that many of our recipes begin with
HIGH MINERAL CHICKEN BROTH
Ingredients:
Several pieces of Organic Chicken (I used backs, necks and or bones)
A couple of unpeeled white onions (coarsely chopped)
3-5 Carrots cut into thirds or so
1-2 parnips cut into thirds or so
2 sweet potatoes with skins quartered
A couple of celery stalks
5-6 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
4 unpeeled cloves of garlic
Several dried Astragalus roots
A few oz of shitakee and maitakii mushrooms (dried or fresh)
1-2 Strips of Kombu (seaweed)
1 teaspoon sea salt
Rinse all the veggies. In a stockpot combine all ingredients except for the salt. Fill pot with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and skim off the scum and the fat that has risen to the surface. Lower to an active simmer and cook for 2-3 hours. Add the salt. Strain through a cleese cloth. Bring to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.
CREAM OF LEEK WITH LEMONBALM
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 2 leeks (plus one for garnish if desired)
- A large handful of Lemon Balm
- Chicken stock - about 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) per serving (SEE RECIPE ABOVE FOR HIGH MINERAL CHICKEN BROTH)
- 1 large potato, quartered
- Salt and pepper
- A squeeze of lemon juice + some grated zest
- Raw Heavy cream
- A pinch of ground ginger
Chop, slice or dice the onions and leeks. Put a thin layer of butter pan on your stovetop. Add the onions/leeks to your pan and cover with a tight fitting lid. Cook the onions/leeks over low heat on your stovetop. Stir the onions occasionally with your spatula . Place the lid back on the pan after you finish stirring. Continue to cook the onions over low heat until they are translucent and have a soft texture, which will indicate that the onions are done.
Add the chopped lemon balm; cover and let cook for a few minutes over very low heat so that the ingredients release their juices. Add the chicken stock and the quartered potato to the first mixture; let simmer over medium heat until the potato is cooked. Purée the soup in the blender on the "liquefy" setting; Season with salt and pepper; add some lemon juice and a little chopped lemon balm. Whip the cream; add a pinch of powdered ginger and some thin strips of lemon zest which has been blanched in boiling water for a few seconds. Ladle the soup into serving bowls; garnish with a spoonful of whipped cream and a few leek rounds.
If you would like you can repeat step one for the extra leek for the garnish.
Enjoy on a cold Winters night. The lemony flavor makes me think of it around Solstice.
If interested in buying a Health Promoting Gift Certficate please scroll down and read the post below. It is not too late and can be emailed directly to the recipient. And remember to comeback on friday for the Giveaway!
