The cold days in old Melbourne town are still lingering, but a hint of spring is certainly in the air; the intoxicating scent of jasmine flowers, the days staying lighter for longer, and new growth all around.
Spring is a great time to embrace a good cleanse of everything from the clothes cupboard to our bodies! The green vegies and lovely leeks that are coming into season are the perfect start the internal cleanse. Check out this “Spring Green Soup” Recipe adapted from Anna Thomas’ delicious recipe book Love Soup.
INGREDIENTS
225g Leeks (about 2-3)
A few cloves of garlic
200g Potatoes
Lima beans – 1 tin strained or about 250g (raw) already soaked and cooked
Head of Broccoli
Small Zucchini
150g baby spinach leaves
Handful of fresh mint leaves
4 Cups of vegetable stock *
30-50 mls fresh lemon juice
Pepper (Cayenne is good)
Wash the leeks thoroughly and slice them thinly.
Crush or chop garlic and fry it in a touch of olive oil over medium heat until soft and tender.
Meanwhile, scrub and dice the potatoes and simmer them in a large pot with about 2 cups of water and 2 cups of stock.
Simmer the potatoes covered for about 10 minutes.
Wash and chop the green vegies.
Add the broccoli, zucchini and cooked leeks to the pot and simmer for about 10 more minutes.
Add the lima beans, spinach and the rest of the stock, simmer for about another 5 minutes.
Add the chopped mint in the last minute.
Take off the heat and stir in lemon juice.
Add pepper to taste.
This soup is good blended, or just as is. Garnish with a drizzle of fruity green olive oil and add some crumbled goats cheese or grated parmesan if desired.
Mix it up ~ Any herbs can be added to this soup – fresh dill, fennel greens, chives, or add some fresh peas.
One of the great things about soup is that you can make adjustments according to what’s in the refrigerator, and experiment with different ingredients with confidence that it can’t really go wrong!
*A note on stock – good quality premade stocks can be found in health food shops and supermarkets, just read the ingredients so make sure they are not full of ‘numbers’ and loaded with salt. A nice habit to get into is make your own. It is super easy. I tend to make one on the day I do a big market shop. You can throw in the vegies that have been in the crisper for a bit too long, add the leaves of the celery (it fits in the fridge better then!), the green parts of the leek, a large onion, a handful of parsley (or whatever herbs are floating around), a few pepper corns, bay leaves, some carrot, the ‘discarded’ bits of whatever you are using for dinner for example the greens and ‘silk’ of the corn husk, root vegie peelings, broccoli stalks, kale stems…what ever is around. Cover with water and bring to boil, then simmer covered for at least one hour. Strain, and put in containers for the fridge or freezer to use as desired. For a more concentrated stock, return the liquid to simmer with the lid off until it has reduced to desired concentration.
Leeks are something of an unsung hero in the vegetable world. They belong to the Allium family, and like their kin, onion and garlic, have a unique combination of flavonoids and sulfur-containing nutrients. Flavonoids found in leeks have been shown to protect blood vessels from damage and oxidative stress. They also contain high amounts of folate , a B group vitamin important for cardiovascular protection, healthy red blood cell production, and health pregnancy outcomes to name a few health benefits.
Natalie Trevaskis ~ Naturopath
