Leeks, which are associated with onions and garlic, add a delicate but bold flavor to soups. Leeks are a good source of vitamin C and iron, and they also contain some calcium. The flavor of leeks is quite versatile, which allows you to design a diverse vegetable soup diet centered around leeks. To ensure a healthy diet, don't add cream, cheese or butter to your soups. With a good soup recipe, you won't need to add these rich, high-fat ingredients.
Potato-Leek Soup
Almost any soup cookbook will have a recipe for potato-leek soup. However, beware: some potato-leek soup recipes call for heavy cream and butter. Remember that you do not need to add these high-fat dairy products to make a delicious soup. Use low-fat or rice milk to make your potato-leek soup, or find a recipe that skips adding any kind of milk product all together. Select high-quality Yukon Gold potatoes for the soup, and garnish with rosemary.
Leek and Mushroom Soup
The rich, earthy flavors of leek and mushrooms complement each other beautifully in a soup. Using these two ingredients as your base, add tomatoes to enrich the flavor and color of the soup. If you prefer, you can make a creamy leek and mushroom soup by adding low-fat milk or rice milk. Garnish this soup simply with salt and pepper. The rich flavors of the vegetable ingredients will create a bold, deep taste.
Vegetable Soup with Leeks
In the spring and early summer take advantage of all of the fresh vegetables growing in the garden. Saute the white parts of your leeks and add early-season vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, peas, onions and mushrooms. You can enhance the taste of this vegetable soup with spices such as paprika and cumin. Garnish your soup with fresh dill from the garden.
Leek and Scallion Soup with Pasta
The leeks and scallions in this soup create a flavorful, slightly spicy broth base. The flavor of the leeks and scallions are off-set by the pasta. Choose large, chunky pasta that will hold up to the bold flavors of this soup. You can experiment by adding mushroom or vegetable tortellini, or potato gnocchi instead. Deepen the flavor of this soup by adding some white wine to the broth base.
Vegetable Chowder with Leeks
While leeks combine beautifully with early spring vegetables, they also hold up to heartier winter veggies. You can create a vegetable chowder centered around winter root vegetables, such as parsnips, carrots, celery root, rutabagas and potatoes. Use low-fat milk or rice milk for the chowder base, and garnish with chopped parsley and ground pepper. If you'd like, grate a small amount of low-fat cheese on top.
References
- Health Learning Info: Leeks Nutrition Facts
- "Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen"; Deborah Madison; 2006
- "Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons"; Nava Atlas; 2009
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