Creamless Leek and Asparagus Soup with Celeriac Root and Kefir

Leek and Asparagus Soup with Celeriac Root and Kefir - Seriously Soupy

I recently had the opportunity to learn more cooking at an event called the Cooking Experience, a culinary mash-up where participants learned about various products and brands (Lifeway, LG, Welch's, SoyJoy and Nature's Path, to name a few) as well as and how to prepare recipes in a creative, yet healthy way. Part meet 'n'greet, interactive cooking lesson, and food sampling, the evenings dinner menu was created by Registered Dietitian and Chef Diane Henderiks. Her delicious and mouth-watering dishes focused on nutritionally-rich food and various out-of-the-box flavor combinations that highlighted the various products such as an amazing pecan crusted barramundi that we had for our main course and a velvety leek and asparagus soup with parmesan-panko crips. Instead of using heaving cream, the soup used Lifeway kefir, a probiotic beverage made from fermented milk and kefir cultures that made it rich and velvety without being heavy. I decided to try a variation of this recipe at home that included leeks, asparagus and potatoes and my own additions - celeric root and dill. Try this at home, and trust me you won't miss the cream either.

Creamless Leek and Asparagus Soup with Celeriac Root and Kefir

Based off of Diane Henderiks' Velvet Asparagus and Leek Soup
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium leek (white and pale green parts only); cleaned and thinly sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 pounds asparagus; trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 celeriac root, peeled and chopped
2 medium potatoes; peeled and quartered
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup Lifeway Lowfat Plain Kefir
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of celery salt
1 tablespoon of dried dill


Directions:
1. In a medium soup pot, saute the onions, leeks and garlic in oil until tender
2. Add the water, celeriac root, potatoes, asparagus, dill and celery salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 30-40 minutes.
3. Puree the soup in a blender. 
4. Add in Lifeway Kefir, salt and pepper and Enjoy!


What other alternatives have used instead of cream?
Seriously Soupy Serena