Vichyssoise is thick, creamy soup made of leeks, potatoes, onions and sour cream. Traditionally served cold, but it is not a rule and sometimes it can be eaten hot.
Vichyssoise is not fit friendly. Potatoes and cream can make you heavy and sleepy. With our little makeover it will become light, tasty and fit in fit menu.
By replacing normal potatoes with sweet ones, our soup will enrich with beta caroten, antyoxidants and vitamin C. Also, they will keep you fuller much longer, so there will be no need for third refill or little “something to eat” after dinner. And no naps!
This soup should be creamy, but I didn’t want to use sour cream – it’s fat and heavy. So I used simple trick – steamed beans. Not only it became vegan friendly and light, but also added fiber.
And as finishing touch – crispy ginger pumpkin seeds.
And that is how a boring leek soup became magnificent, healthy vichyssoise.
So… interested?
3 leeks
4 – 5 cloves of garlic
2 – 3 sweet potatoes
25 ounces steamed white beans (we can use the canned or simply cooked in water instead)
750 ml vegetable broth
1 tablespoon of coconut oil or clarified butter (ghee)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons of turmeric
1 teaspoon smoked hot pepper (pimiento) – we can use cayenne
serving:
two tablespoons of finely chopped baby spinach / green onions / green part of the leek
ginger seeds:
20 grams of peeled pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried ginger
Preparation:
- Clean leeks, cut into slices. If necessary, toss in a bowl with cold water and wash away soil. Dry leeks.
- In a large pot heat the coconut oil, turmeric, pimiento, salt and leeks. Stir to coat leeks with the spices and cook over medium heat for about 4 – 5 minutes, until the leeks are soft.
- Add minced garlic.
- Scrub sweet potatoes (do not peel them), cut into cubes and add to the pot. Boil for a few minutes.
- Then add the broth and steamed beans. Quickly boil, then reduce heat and let soup simmer until vegetables are tender – about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Puree soup with the blender till is totally creamy. Add the olive oil and lemon juice. If necessary, season with salt. Blend soup again.
Ginger pumpkin seeds:
- Mix olive oil, honey and ginger in a bowl.
- Add pumpkin seeds and stir to coat seeds with ginger.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Place seeds on baking sheet and then bake for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool them down. Leftovers can be stored for few days, but, honestly, they are too good and they are disapearing quickly.
Serve soup with greens and pumpkin seeds. There is no need to add noodles, bread or rice.
And pumpkin seeds can be served as snacks also.
Smacznego!