Smoked Salmon And Leek Soup Recipe

Soup is perhaps one of the most versatile and comforting types of food out there. Whether you like your soup light and broth-like or hearty and packed full of chunky ingredients, there is a soup for everyone. More than just for their versatility, soups make an excellent meal option for their ease of preparation. Unless you are making a complex French consommé, all you really need to do to make a great soup is to add your chosen ingredients to broth and let everything cook. That doesn't mean, however, that easily prepared soup can't also be elegant and classy.

This smoked salmon and leek soup recipe, created by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, combines simplicity with sophistication. Leeks are sauteed in butter and then cooked alongside potatoes in chicken broth before cream, smoked salmon, and fresh herbs are added to complete this dish. The result is a creamy, lightly smoked, fishy-tasting soup that is both nourishing and elegant. Perfect for a relaxed lunchtime meal or as a starter for a dinner party, this soup will go down as a treat however you serve it. Read on to find out how you can make this smoked salmon and leek soup quickly and easily in your own kitchen.

To begin this smoked salmon and leek soup recipe, you will first need to gather the ingredients. You will want butter, a leek, potatoes, Dijon mustard, chicken stock, heavy cream, fresh dill, fresh chives, smoked salmon, watercress, salt, and pepper.

Heat the butter in a large, deep pan to a medium temperature.

Add the sliced leek and saute for 6–8 minutes, until the leek is soft.

Add the potatoes, Dijon mustard, and chicken stock to the pan.

Let the broth simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.

Add the cream to the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer.

Mix in the dill, chives, and smoked salmon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Dish up the soup, and garnish each bowl with a few watercress leaves before serving.

Due to the versatile nature of soups, they are perhaps some of the easiest dishes to adapt according to your personal preferences or dietary requirements. To make this soup dairy-free, simply swap out the butter and the cream for dairy-free varieties. And, to make sure the dish is gluten-free, all you need to do is check the stock you are using to ensure that it's gluten-free.

For flavor variations, the sky is the limit. Smoked salmon can be quite pricey, you can use ordinary salmon if you prefer to keep costs down. If you don't want to lose out on the flavor that the smoked element adds to the soup, try adding some liquid salt. Alternatively, this soup tastes delicious with other types of fish, so why not try adding a different fish, such as trout or sea bass? To add further variety to this soup recipe, you can add shrimp or other kinds of shellfish: this is a perfect addition for those who love seafood.

For vegetable variations, you could make this recipe with sweet potatoes in place of the ordinary potatoes, or replace them with rice and noodles. Just make sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly. Finally, the dill and chives can be substituted with other herbs, such as parsley, thyme, or basil, to change the flavor of the finished dish.

Depending on when you serve this smoked salmon and leek soup, there are a variety of different serving options available to you. This soup can be enjoyed all by itself as a delicious, light lunch option, but it also pairs wonderfully with a slice or two of warm crusty bread or toast spread simply with salted butter. For a different spin on this, why not make your own croutons at home to add a particularly crunchy texture to this soup? Or, for a more dramatic serving, you can hollow out particularly crusty bread rolls or boules to make bread bowls and serve the smoked salmon and leek soup in these. If bread isn't your thing, a simple side salad will complement the lightness of the soup wonderfully while contrasting the rich creaminess by adding freshness to your meal.

If you are choosing to serve this soup as a starter, we recommend following it with a complementary dish that pairs well with the creamy smoked salmon and leek flavors while also adding contrast. Similarly, creamy pasta dishes or risottos make great main dish options, as does herby roast chicken, grilled fish, seafood mains, or roasted vegetables for lightness. Finally, we recommend pairing this soup with a chilled, light, and citrusy white wine.