cabbage, leek, and potato soup with lemon crema

I am dancing on my tippy toes at the moment hoping and praying that spring will finally get here. The weather is fluctuating like crazy, 60s then 40s, 50s then 30s then 60s again. The sun has come out to play –  I think it was in hiding for the last 3 months, seriously, the sun hibernates in winter, did no one tell you? But just yesterday the sun did not go down until after 5:30, that’s progress right there. Eventually the nights will get hot and sticky and it will seem as if you are going to bed when it is still light outside — yes, I do think and long for these things, especially when my thermostat registers the “house high” at a chilly 62-degrees.

Or perhaps my spring longing started after receiving my Bon Appetit magazine, well the BA email preceded the magazine, but in both I spotted the same deliciously spring-green colored soup that looked full of promises of tulips and daisies — I need hope here people, remember the thermostat. Now, I know what you all must be thinking, that I am a toothless hillbilly that can only suck down soups that have been boiled and pureed down to the same mush form that toddlers eat, and I don’t think I could blame you seeing as this is the fourth out of six soups I have made this winter that require the use of a blender.

But in this case do not think of the silky smooth, velvety soup even your toofless little ones can eat but the spring green color — it’s pretty right? — and the easy 30 minutes it takes to make so you can spend more time with your little tots under foot — and the cool swirly patters you can make while seasoning — see above picture –  and well, just making it for the flavor alone would be enough for me. Cabbage and leeks with just enough potato to give it a bit of bulk yet not over power the flavor of parmesan, let’s just say it’s my new favorite.

And now I must continue my spring cleaning rampage, because, that’s what you do in spring, right?

One Year Ago: Ricotta Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

Cabbage, Leek, and Potato Soup with Lemon Crema
From Bon Appetit, March 2011

1/2 cup creme fraishe or sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Zest from one lemon
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 cups 1/2-inch diced green cabbage from about 1/2 a medium head
3 cups chopped leeks, white and pale green parts, 3 to 4 large
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 cups 1/2-inch cubed yukon gold potatoes, about 1 1/4 pound
1 2×2-inch piece parmesan cheese rind, optional
1 turkish bay leaf
6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Whisk creme fraishe, lemon juice and zest in a small bowl to blend. Cover and chill.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add cabbage; sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and saute until cabbage is almost tender but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup to a small bowl and reserve for garnish.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to pot with cabbage; add leeks and garlic. Saute over medium heat until leeks soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in potatoes, parmesan rind and bay leaf. Add 6 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 20 – 25 minutes. Discard parmesan rind and bay leaf. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. Simmer until heated through, adding more broth by 1/4-cupfuls to this soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with some of the reserved sauteed cabbage. Drizzle creme fraishe mixture over soup; sprinkle with chives and serve.