Pea Soup with Leeks and Creamy Goat Cheese

Last night's dinner was delicious and easy, particularly because I made it out of things I already had around the house. Of course, this only happened because I was too lazy to go to the grocery store to pick up dinner ingredients, and so had to forage at home.

Much to T's chagrin, I decided to make pea soup. I didn't know that he hated pea soup until dinner was ready, so I was blithely unaware of the fact that the fresh leeks and creamy goat cheese I was adding in order to boost the flavor and texture of the soup would do nothing to change his mind. He dipped a finger in, tasted it, made a face, and then decided to just have the grilled feta, bacon, and cucumber sandwich I had prepared to accompany the soup.

Pea Soup with Leeks and Creamy Goat Cheese

Yes, that is my homemade bread in that sandwich.

• 4 leeks, trimmed, washed, and sliced thin
• 4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (preferably homemade)
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 bags frozen peas
• 1/3 cup creamy goat cheese
• 3 Tablespoons julienned fresh mint (My favorite way to julienne mint is to roll the leaves into a large cigar shape, and cut the roll into slices with kitchen scissors.)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the leeks and garlic, and sauté until the leeks become tender and glossy.

 2. Add the chicken stock, frozen peas, and salt and pepper, and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.






3. Stir in the mint, and let simmer for another five minutes. Spoon the soup into a blender, and purée until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, and stir in the goat cheese until it's melted. Serve immediately.



I liked the soup so much that I had three servings of it (hey, I'm an American, after all), to make up for what T hated. This soup would probably also be really good with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche, but we're trying to avoid the moo juice altogether.

Have a great weekend!