Summer just started for me 🙂 The final exams just finished and finally I have a few days free, until I begin the internship. This summer will be really busy, but at least I will go through it creatively and learn new and beautiful things! And now that I start to relax, a heat wave started …. The one that tortured Europe and the US the last few days, will pay Greece a visit eventually… I cannot stand the heat … The only way to deal with it is with refreshing foods and drinks like this chilled leek and fennel soup with roasted almonds pesto!
It is an easy soup, without a lot of ingredients and a lousy run. Besides, during the heat wave, cooking should be easy and quick. Leftover pesto is terrific tossed with pasta 😉


- • 2 cups of fresh basil leaves
- • 1/3 cup roasted almonds
- • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- • 2 cloves of garlic
- • ½ teaspoon of salt
- • ½ cup of olive oil
- • pepper
- • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- • 2 large leeks, sliced (their white and light green parts only)
- • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- • 1 ½ teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
- • 4 cup chicken broth (preferably homemade)
- • 2 fennels, cut into medium pieces
- • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- Put the first 5 ingredients in the food processor and grind. Add the olive oil gradually, ideally with the machine running, and process. Add pepper and stir. Transfer the pesto to a bowl, cover the surface with a plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. (You can make it the day before).
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the leeks until they are softened and add garlic and caraway seeds and continue to sauté, stirring, until the leeks are transclusent.
- Add the chicken broth and fennel. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until fennel is softened.
- Puree soup in the food processor or blender and transfer it back to the pot. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir. Cover the saucepan and put it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with roasted almond pesto and, optionally, with fresh fennel fronds.
No Comments