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Monday, October 1, 2012

[Healthy_Recipes_For_Diabetic_Friends] Early Spring Vegetable Soup - 24g Carbs, 6g Fiber

Early Spring Vegetable Soup - 24g Carbs, 6g Fiber

Recipe By:
Servings: 5
Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories: LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs Veggie

The Stock:
8 cups water -- or boil 8 cups water with some of the leek greens, chard stems, and parsley. This would be a good occasion to use nettles if you have them.

The Soup:
3 tablespoons butter -- or olive oil
4 small leeks -- to 5, white parts only, about 8 ounces, sliced
1 medium potato -- scrubbed and sliced
3 celery stalks -- to 4, diced (about 1 cup) salt
1/4 pound snow peas -- strings removed, roughly chopped, or 1/2 cup frozen peas
8 sprigs parsley -- or chervil
3 lovage leaves -- or 1 handful sorrel leaves, roughly chopped
1 bunch spinach -- or chard (small bunch - about 12 ounces), stems removed, roughly chopped
6 cups water -- or light stock
nutmeg
lemon juice -- or Champagne vinegar, to taste cream -- or creme fraiche (optional)
pepper -- (optional)

Warm the butter or oil in a soup pot, add the leeks, potato, and celery, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup water. Cover the pot, and stew the vegetables over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Stir once or twice to make sure the vegetables aren't sticking to the bottom of the pot; if they are, add more water. Next add the peas, herbs, and greens, cover, and continue to cook until the greens have wilted, about 5 minutes. add the 6 cups water or stock and bring to a boil; then simmer for 10 minutes. Let the soup cool briefly; then transfer it to a blender and puree. If all the strings have not been removed from the peas, the soup maybe fibrous. Check to see if it is smooth, and if not, pass the soup through a food mill or chinoise. Season the soup to taste with a few scrapings of nutmeg, and lemon juice or vinegar. Add salt if needed. Thin it with cream, if desired, or serve it with creme fraiche and freshly ground black pepper. Gently reheat the soup before serving. Little croutons fried in butter or a garnish of chive blossoms make a nice finish to this soup.

Serves 4 to 6

AuthorNote: This healthful-tasting soup is like a satisfying tonic. No vegetable seems to taste as fresh as peas do, and their flavor shines through the tastes of other vegetables in this soup. Snow peas are the first to appear in early spring, but if they're not available, use frozen English peas.

Source: "The Greens Cookbook: Extraordinary Vegetarian Cuisine
from the Celebrated Restaurant by Deborah Madison, 1987"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi): "Sept 2012"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 178 Calories; 8g Fat (37.3% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 238mg Sodium

Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat