Carrot, Leek and White Bean Soup
Here’s a great soup recipe for anyone who doesn’t have much time to spend in the kitchen…
I made it this week as we’d just returned home from a 3 week trip to the UK to an empty fridge and almost empty freezer.
It was cold outside, so we needed something warm and comforting to eat, but due to all the unpacking, washing etc and the fact that I was tired and weary, it needed to be super-fast and easy.
All it took was (a quick visit to the shop for) the above few ingredients, and some home-made chicken stock (pretty much the only thing left in the freezer). Half an hour later we had steaming hot bowls of this deelicious tasty soup
The perfect comfort food when you are jet-lagged!
Enjoy 🙂
- 1 large leek (200 grams), chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 kg carrots, chopped
- 2 litres (8 cups) vegetable or chicken stock
- 3 cups of cooked cannellini or other white beans, or 2 x 400gram tins, drained and rinsed
- pepper
- fresh herbs (tarragon, parsley, chives), finely chopped
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and when hot add the leek and oil and sautee for 10 minutes, until the leek has softened and starts to brown.
- Add the carrots and the stock.
- Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the white beans and simmer for a further 5 minutes, until the carrots are just cooked.
- Remove half of the soup and puree in a food processor, then return to the pot. Alternatively, very carefully use a hand blender to puree about half of the soup.
- Add pepper and fresh herbs, reserving a small amount for garnishing.
- Serve and enjoy 🙂
If you don’t have a leek, just use 1-2 medium-large brown onions
This soup can be frozen
This is how easy this soup is to make…
sautee leeks
add carrots
then stock. Cook for 5 minutes, add the beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Puree half and tadaaaa – it’s done! Nom nom nom
Want to know more about leeks?
Leeks are a great alternative to use in place of onions and work really well in casseroles, pies, pasta sauces, risottos and soups. They have a sweeter, milder flavour than onions and are preferred by many people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) as they appear to be better tolerated.
To cook with them, trim off the frilly bottom roots, slice in half lengthways, then slice into 1-2 cm wide pieces all the way up to the very dark green part. Then take the tough green part of the outside layer off and continue to cut the inner layers up to the very dark green part, then peel that off, etc… Place the cut leek in a bowl of water and wash it well as there is often dirt between the layers. Drain and it is then ready for sautéing as you would an onion. Leeks can also be steamed.
Leeks are related to onions and garlic, so have similar health benefits. They are all members of the allium family, a group of vegetables known to reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers and reduce inflammation. Leeks are also a good source of folate, vitamin C, vitamin A and fibre and they are incredibly low in calories.
