Spinach vichyssoise

 

We'll say this leek and potato soup is in honor of St. Patrick's Day, although I'm pretty sure the spinach bit is far afield from the traditional.

Spinach vichyssoise
Adapted from “The New Carry-Out Cuisine” by Phyllis Meras. The carry-out source for this recipe was Monticello Gourmet in Washington, D.C. Can’t tell if that still exists in any form, but if it did, it would be worth a visit if you can get this as takeout.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
7 leeks, white parts only, washed and sliced
8 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon salt
5 cups broth
8 ounces fresh spinach
2 cups half and half
1 cup cream

Method
Melt butter in a large heavy pot. Cook leeks over medium heat until soft. Add potatoes, salt and broth. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender. Remove pot from heat. Stir in spinach to wilt. Add half and half and cream. Puree with a stick blender or in batches in a food processor. If you want to serve it cold, chill soup, but the recipe notes that it is good served hot, which is what we opted for. Serves 6 amply.

Rating: This is just a lovely soup. Dave called it ridiculously good. I recommend chilling it even if you plan to reheat it to serve warm, because then it's picked up a truly velvety quality. Really nice flavors. A pretty quick fix. And you can pretend it's somewhat healthy with that dose of spinach, although anything with that much dairy fat in it can't be anything but tasty and thus not exactly healthful.