Spring Salmon and Leek Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was digging through my freezer today, searching for the last vestiges of some salmon I knew was hiding at the bottom. Salmon season is here and it's time to use the old to make room for the new. It proved to be a good day to undertake the search. The arctic blasts of winter are past, but our weather can still be unpredictable. Late this afternoon, our glorious weather changed and we had a fierce, if short, hail storm followed by heavy rains and rapidly dropping temperatures. It turned into a perfect day for soup. I used the tail ends of the resurrected salmon, quite literally, to make two soups we love. Both are fast, simple and light. They are what I call cusp soups. They are much lighter than the heavy soups of winter but have enough substance to make a meal. I thought we'd do one of them tonight and the other next week. This is the lighter of the two soups and it's my personal favorite. The recipe calls for fish stock. I make mine from shrimp shells that I freeze until I need stock. You can also dilute bottled clam with water to make a serviceable fish stock. Here's the recipe for a light and lovely salmon soup that's perfect for spring.

Spring Salmon and Leek Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 large leek, white and tender green, sliced
1 large potato, diced
2 cups fish stock
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
3/4 pound skinless salmon cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup cream or half and half
Optional: lemon juice, parsley for garnish

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a heavy bottomed soup pan over medium heat. Add onions and leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2) Add potatoes, fish stock, water, bay leaf and a large pinch of salt to pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
3) Let soup cool slightly. Transfer half of soup solids to a blender and puree until smooth. Be careful not to burn yourself. Return to pan. Heat soup to a simmer. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Add salmon to soup and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream. Adjust to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve warm. Yield: 4 servings.

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