Broccoli-leek Soup With Lemon-chive Cream

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium leeks, and tender green parts only, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs broccoli, stems peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick, florets cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 5 cups chicken stock or 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 -3 pinches crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 lemon, zest of, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (not the bottled kind)
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 in a medium saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil.
• 2 add the leeks & crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
• 3 stir in the broccoli, garlic and stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• 4 cover partially and simmer until the broccoli is tender, 20 minutes.
• 5 meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir the sour cream with the lemon zest, lemon juice, chives and parmesan.
• 6 season with salt and pepper.
• 7 transfer the soup to a blender and puree in batches until smooth.
• 8 stir in half of the lemon-chive cream.
• 9 ladle the soup into shallow bowls and serve the remaining lemon-chive cream on the side.