Take Advantage of Early Spring Veggies: Herb and Leek Soup

Create a delicious warm soup for a brisk afternoon! This can work as a nice appetizer before Easter dinner.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium leeks, trimmed, washed and finely chopped (1 1/2 cups) 2 cloves garlic, minced 2-4 new potatoes, scrubbed and diced (about 1 2/3 cups) 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/2-2 cups) 2/3 cup snow peas, or sugar snap peas, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 2 cups 1% or skim milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste Freshly ground pepper, to taste 1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt, for garnish

Preparation

1.Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

2.Add potatoes and broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

3.Increase heat to medium-high and stir in asparagus and peas; simmer, covered, stirring 2 or 3 times, until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon chives, parsley, dill. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.)

4.Return the soup to the pan. Add milk and bring to just below a simmer, stirring, over medium heat. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each serving with a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkling of the remaining chopped chives and a sprig of fresh parsley.