This delicious soup is made with simple ingredients. The toasted Irish soda bread provides a hint of sweetness and complements the flavors of the cabbage and leeks perfectly. If you serve this as part of your St. Patrick’s Day celebration, try garnishing the soup with a fresh Shamrock leaf and flower of your choice. This makes 6-8 servings depending on your bowl size.
Ingredients
Soup
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium sized leek, about 6 oz. rinsed, drained, cut julienne style
3 celery stalks rinsed, drained and diced
1 head of cabbage, about 2 lbs. rinsed, drained and sliced
3 – 15 oz. cans of 99% fat free chicken broth
1 cup of half and half
Sprinkle of kosher salt (about ½ teaspoon) and freshly ground pepper
Irish Soda Bread
1 loaf of Irish Soda Bread
Non-stick cooking spray
Garnish (optional)
A Shamrock leaf and flower
Technique
In a large pot heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add leeks and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add cabbage, stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth. Let simmer for about an hour over low heat. Add ½ of the ingredients from pot and a ½ cup of the half and half cream to the blender. Blend in batches to prevent any hot soup from escaping the blender when blending. Blend to a smooth consistency and add to a large bowl. Add the remaining contents from pot and the remainder of the half and half cream to the blender and blend until smooth. Pour all contents from blender and bowl into the pot and let simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
For toasted Irish soda bread, thinly slice bread on a diagonal. Place bread onto a cookie sheet , sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake for 5-7 minutes in a preheated oven at 375 degrees, or until lightly brown.
Ladle soup into bowls serve with toasted Irish soda bread and garnish if desired.
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