Earlier this week I shared a hearty and healthy winter soup recipe. If you liked that one, I’m pretty sure you’ll dig this one too. Potatoes are a low-calorie carb, high in fiber and fat-free. According to the USDA, we should be getting 45-65% of our total calorie intake from carbs. On a 2,000-calorie diet that translates to about 225 to 325g of the often-demonized nutrient per day. For the carbophobes out there, keep in mind that carbohydrates act as your primary source of energy–essential for those of us leading an active lifestyle. A 1 cup serving of the potatoes used in this recipe contains 26g of carbs and 2g of fiber. Fiber is a powerful tool for weight control as it’s your best friend when it comes to staying full and satiated. For my ladies out there, adult women need around 25g of fiber a day. Our male counterparts need to up the ante to around 35g of fiber a day.
The real superstars in this recipe, however, are leeks. One cup of raw leeks contains 52.2% of your daily value for vitamin K, 29.6% for vitamin A, 21.5% for manganese, 17.8% for vitamin C, 14.2% for folate, 10.5% for vitamin B6, and 10.3% for iron. Talk about a secret weapon!
Knowing how good this soup is for you, you’ll feel even better when you realize it actually tastes good too. Pair it with a hunk of my Easy Multigrain Bread and voilà, lunch is served!
Tri-Color Potato Leek Soup
What You’ll Need:
- 6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable stock
- 3 leeks, cleaned and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- 14-16 small tri-color potatoes, cubed
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make It:
- Heat oil in a large (5-6 qt) saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, shallots and leeks, sautéing 5-7 min or until tender and translucent.
- Add garlic, thyme, oregano, cayenne and salt and pepper, cooking for another 2-3 min.
- Add tri-color potatoes, making sure to coat them in the spices and onion, shallot, leek mixture.
- Add vegetable stock, bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 15 min. The potatoes should be easy to pierce and pick up with a fork.
- Finally, using a hand blender if you have one, purée the mixture in your saucepan until smooth. (If you don’t have a hand blender a standing blender does the trick).
- Adjust your seasoning for spice and saltiness. Serve hot and enjoy!
Note: if you aren’t vegan or dairy-free, I highly recommend adding a tablespoon or two of your favorite shredded cheese. I have a dairy sensitivity but can handle goat and sheep’s milk cheeses, so I added some grated manchego–yum!
