Tuesday, March 28, 2006

leek soup for weight loss



i had never bought leeks before i moved to london. i knew that the french used it a lot in their cooking but beyond that i was totally oblivious to the versatile nature of this vegetable.

i've since learnt that leeks belong to the same family as onions and garlic. they make great soups on their own or along with other vegetables. the famous french cold soup, vichyssoise, is made from leeks. they can also be used in frittatas and quiches. as well as in salads.

i picked up a bunch consisting of four cylinders a few weeks back from the farmer's market. i read several recipes and then just made up by own avoiding any oil or butter.

i cut the four leeks in thin slices at a 45 degree angle. i then chopped up five baby potatoes. i put the leeks and potatoes in my le creuset and added four cups of water and a few cubes of vegetable stock. i brought the water and vegetables to boil and then lowered the heat to a simmer. after about fifteen minutes, i took the pot off the flame, whizzed the soup with my hand blender, seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper before serving in a big bowl.

what's lovely about leeks is that they create a velvety texture without the fat. i've heard people complain about the bland taste of leek soup but that can be rectified with freshly ground pepper. the potatoes do add a few extra calories and can be avoided if you really want a super healthy recipe. this soup is great when you're trying to eat a light dinner that will keep you going till bedtime.

4 Comments:

Blogger maya said...

Don't forget a sprinkiling of gogonzola cheese when you serve the soup - it gets nice and melty and gives the soup a good kick. Lulu - it's a good thing my family does not read your blog about all the yummy and varied things you make. They'll rebel at the same-old same-old saadam, kathirikaa (or some other vegetable), rasam etc combo I end up serving for dinner at least 2 times a week!

7:50 pm  
Blogger gs said...

maya,y'day,i was on a jet airways filght returning to mumbai.they were serving lunch and when i asked him for the menu the steward promptly replied,"lime rice and katthrikai kozhambu(pronounced exactly as spelt),saar".i didn't hesitate to have it.i only wish s were to read lulu's blogs and produce all the exotic stuff that she writes about.for me it remains only academic.

12:45 am  
Blogger lulu said...

hi maya,
don't even get me started on what a lamelass i am compared to the superwoman you are!!! i don't think i could deal if i had three kids and a husband and a dog and a fulltime job not to mention everything else you do...

hi appa,
forget trying to get amma to read my blog. she's not into food. you should print out recipe for K and get her to translate for GB so you can taste some of these things. the bombay gym shop is well stocked so i'm sure you can find many of the ingredients i write about there.

9:22 pm  
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5:11 pm  

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