Lemony Mustard Greens Soup

 

 If you like tangy, lemony flavors and/or you are a mustard lover, you might like this soup. I have to warn you in advance that my husband described this soup as "ill-defined and contradictory," which I thought was a very creative critique of soup. You'll have to decide for yourself whether it's something that you might want to try. For my part, I really liked it.

I garnished the soup with lemon zest and broccoli sprouts, and I have to say that they are an essential part of enjoying the soup. The lemon zest enhances the lemon in the soup and the peppery crunch of the broccoli sprouts round it off perfectly. Also, I used organic russet potatoes. Usually, I don't peel them when I use them, but in this case I did because I didn't want the dark skin to darken  the color of the soup (the photo does enough of that on its own, he he:).

Ingredients
1/2 lb mustard greens, roughly chopped (1 large bunch)
1 large leek, both green and white parts (~2 cups chopped into rounds)
2 large or 4 small russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into medium pieces (~ 1 lb)
3 cloves garlic, slivered
pinch of red chili flakes
1 large rib of celery, chopped medium
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
4-6 cups water or veggie broth (enough to reach and maintain desired consistency)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1.5 - 2  tablespoons Dijon mustard (according to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
lemon zest, broccoli sprouts, and olive oil for topping
lemon wedges for garnish
 
In a large pot, gently saute the potatoes, leeks, celery, garlic and chili flakes  for 3-4  minutes until the leek begins to tender. Add enough water/broth to amply cover the leek and potato mixture, bring to a simmer, cover and let it cook for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and the vegetables are soft enough to puree.

Now, stir in the  mustard greens, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Allow he mustard greens to blanche in the hot pot for 1-2 minutes. Transfer soup to blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the stove, stir in the lemon juice and mustard, add salt and pepper to taste, and allow the soup to heat through for a few more minutes.

Serve garnished with olive oil, lemon zest, and broccoli sprouts.