If you’ve ever read “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” you know that French women love leek soup for its “magical” properties. Well, I had forgotten about that when I saw some leeks and decided that I hadn’t savored the delicate taste of leek soup in a very long time. The next day, I was discovering the “magical” properties. Doing a quick search, I discovered that the reason the book encourages a leek broth weekend as a way of cleansing one’s system and dropping a few pounds is because leeks are considered a diuretic and mild laxitive. While I didn’t drop a few pounds (the recipe in the book is much more potent than my soup), it did help get rid of the after effects of eating out (restaurants put so much salt on everything, they might as well just serve salt blocks and get it over with!).
I just discovered leeks are traditionally harvested in autumn. However, they need a cool climate so they are grown over the winter here in Southern California for springtime enjoyment. I am sure, however, they are probably available year round at your local supermarket if you get a hankering for this soup before leeks show up at your farmer’s market.
Leeks are those things that look like green onions/scallions on steroids. They are members of the onion family but have a very mild flavor. The white and light green areas are the edible parts. Because of how they grow, dirt and grit gets trapped between layers. Slice the stalk lengthwise and spread it open to clean the dirt out.
This recipe is from the 1953 edition of The Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedia of Cooking in 24 Volumes. It says it makes four servings but I get about 5-6 very filling servings from it. I love it for a low-calorie lunch–according to my Mastercook calculation, it is around 123 calories per serving if you use 2% milk.
Time saving tip: Use either leftover potatoes or boil the potatoes while the leeks are boiling.
Potato Leek Soup
3 Tablespoons Fat
1 Cup Leeks, sliced
4 Cups Cold Water
1 Bay Leaf
2 Tablespoons Chili Sauce
1/2 Cup Onion, chopped
2 medium potatoes, diced
1/4 Cup Celery, chopped
2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Cup 2% Low-fat Milk
- Melt fat, add leeks and cook but do not brown; add water, bay leaf and chili sauce. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add potatoes, onion, celery, parsley salt, and pepper. Cook until potatoes are soft.
- Add milk and heat to boiling.
Update: My friend, Eagle-eye Lori, caught that I had forgotten to include the potatoes in the recipe. The recipe, above, now is correct. Also, originally I said that each serving was about 100 calories. Adding the potatoes (since it is a potato leek soup) takes the calorie count up to about 125. Still not bad for a very filling soup, I’d say!
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 127 Calories; 7g Fat (51.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 9mg Cholesterol; 392mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
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Do we eat the leek soup only for its “magical” properties? Is it a “feminine” thing, or is a meal for the family? Does “your honey” eat the soup?
I seldom see leeks or scallions where I shop, but that might be because I’m not looking for them. Here in the great Pacific Northwest, we do not have a great variety of wonderful produce from which to select.
No, we eat leek soup because it is delicious tasting. My Honey really likes it, too. You just have to keep in mind that you might not want to go geo-caching the day after having it for the first time.