Leek Artichoke Carrot Soup

Leek Artichoke Carrot Soup is a delicious combination of both sweet and savory!  Quick and easy to make, you’ll find yourself going back to this healthy soup recipe time and time again! 

The combination of flavors, accented with a hint of thyme, is full-bodied and warms the soul. The leeks offer a bit of a mild onion flavor, a bit of savory from the artichoke and a tad of sweetness from the carrots.

Why you’ll love this recipe!

This delicious carrot soup is full of vitamins and nutrients.

• Healthy – carrots, leeks and artichokes; all-natural, no preservatives
• Flavorful – the natural sweetness of the carrots pairs beautifully with the other savory elements
• Affordable – cost under $10 to make a big batch of this! 

What are leeks?

Leeks are a cousin to onions, shallots, garlic and chives and offer a mild flavor that perfectly offsets the sweetness of the carrots in this recipe!

How to clean leeks

The tricky thing about leeks is that they must be thoroughly cleaned; the leek has layers of flesh that harbor debris–so before you get started, be sure to thoroughly clean the leeks before and after slicing.

 

Here’s what you’ll need

Leeks, carrots, artichoke (tops or bottoms), chicken or vegetable broth, cream, bay leaves, butter, thyme.

How to make it

In a dutch oven on medium heat, heat olive oil and butter; and add leeks and cook till tender

Add broth, chopped carrots and bay leaves; Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook for 20-minutes on medium heat

Add chopped artichoke hearts; allow to cook 15 more minutes

Remove bay leaves

Puree soup with immersion blender to desired consistency; add water/broth as needed

Add 1 teaspoon of dried thyme; add cream (optional) if you prefer a cream-based version

Allow to simmer at least 10 minutes prior to serving

Do I use fresh, frozen or canned artichokes?

Feel free to use canned, or jarred artichoke hearts for this delicious winter soup– but not the marintated ones! You want to use plain artichokes with no oil or seasonings.

Artichokes, or Jerusalem artichokes are found fresh, frozen or in the canned vegetable section of your grocer.

This recipe works best when you use artichoke bottoms, however, those are often hard to find.

Whether you use artichoke tops or bottoms, you’ll want to chop them into very fine pieces. The hearts tend to be stringy, so you’ll want to also use an immersion blender to puree the artichokes into a smooth consistency.

Tips:

Canned artichoke bottoms work best; if you can’t find bottoms, get artichoke hearts, but keep in mind that the leaves get stringy upon cooking, so you’ll definitely want to puree them

This version is pureed; however, another option is to remove and coarse-grind artichokes and leeks once tender, puree the vegetables and add back to the broth.   

This recipe calls for carrots; however, they may be eliminated if you are choosing to make a more detoxifying leek soup

Cream is optional, but it does contribute to the flavor and consistency 

This creamy Leek Artichoke Carrot soup pairs beautifully with Chicken Piccata,  Chicken Cordon Bleu or  Chicken Fricassee.

Storage and reheating

Store this soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Freeze for up to 3 months.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below! I love to hear from you! Thank you!