A Deliciously Tasty Magic Leek Soup Recipe
There aren’t many people who don’t enjoy eating some type of soup, especially during the fall and winter months. While everyone’s favorite may not be popular choices like chicken noodle, vegetable beef, or tomato, different people have different tastes.
Some people may like eating soup that you have never heard of. If you’re a soup lover and you’re always on the lookout for new soup recipes, then you’re in for a real treat. Here is a magic leek soup recipe that you and your family might absolutely love.
Magic Leek Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 leeks (5 will be used for the soup, and 1 for the garnish)
- 3 medium sized potatoes (Yukon Gold brand, if possible)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 star anise seed
- ½ tsp of fleur de sel (French gray rock salt)
- 8 Cups of Water
Instructions:
- Prepare the leeks by cleaning, peeling, chopping them. Be sure to discard the dark green top. 5 of the leeks should be chopped into large pieces, and the remaining leek that will be used as the garnish should be chopped very finely.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters.
- Add the olive oil to the pot and heat on medium heat.
- Add the garlic and the 5 largely-chopped leeks to the pot.
- Sautée the leeks until they start becoming translucent, which takes about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the leeks, so stirring frequently is necessary.
- Add the fleur de sel.
- Add the 8 cups of water, along with the potatoes and the anise seed.
- Allow to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are soft.
- Sample the broth, and add a pinch of salt and pepper if the flavor is lacking.
- Remove the star anise seed from the broth before using the immersion blender.
- Mix the soup with the immersion blender.
- * It might be necessary to add additional water, up to 2 cups, if the soup is too thick. You want the consistency to be thick, but still soup-like.
- To make the garnish: drizzle ½ tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and set the heat to medium.
- Add the finely chopped leek to the pan, along with a pinch of fleur de sel.
- Stir frequently, allowing it to cook for about 10 minutes or so, or until the leeks are lightly browned and translucent. Add ¼ cup of water halfway through the cooking of the leeks, and pay close attention so you won’t burn them. If you notice the leeks sticking to the pan, reduce the heat and add a bit more of water. Stir vigorously.
- Once the leeks are done, taste them to see if they contain enough salt. If not, add a bit more salt, but not too much.
To serve:
Serve the Magical Leek Soup in bowls and top each bowl with a tablespoon of sauteed leeks, and enjoy!
Can Additional Garnishes Be Added to the Soup?
Whether you want to garnish your soup with crushed croutons, cheese, or even herbs, all of these are acceptable. In fact, it is recommended that you make the soup your own by adding any additional flavors to it that you would like. It will still be “magical” when it comes to taste, so don’t worry about altering it too much.
Different people will also want to pair their magic leek soup with different foods, such as sandwiches, crackers, breadsticks, etc. Again, please make the soup (and your entire meal) your own by pairing it with whatever you like. However, don’t feel pressured to pair it with anything, because most people enjoy eating magic leek soup alone, since it’s so tasty.
Where Did Magic Leek Soup Originate?
This soup came about as an extreme way for French women to lose weight. The idea was that they would eat a couple bowls of this soup all day and nothing else in order to induce very quick weight loss. The soup is called “magical” leek soup, because it’s implied that the soup will enable you to “magically” drop weight. Any drastic restriction in calorie intake will lead to rapid weight loss, regardless of specific food.
This magic leek soup is very healthy, so eating it while on a weight-loss plan is a good idea, as it can contribute to weight loss. However, it is not a good idea to starve yourself in order to lose weight, as it’s not healthy. You will only lose muscle instead of fat, which isn’t good. Furthermore, your health and nutrition levels will suffer as a result.
If you want to eat this soup while on a weight-loss plan, then go for it! But be sure to have a bowl for lunch and/or dinner, but pair the soup with other healthy foods, like salad, lean meats, fresh fruits, and more. There are even healthy and low calorie or low carb breads that you can enjoy with this soup and still lose weight.
Where Can I Find Leeks?
If you’ve never cooked with leeks before, then you might have no idea where to purchase them. Leeks are a fresh vegetable that you will purchase in the produce department of your grocery store.
Unfortunately, not every grocery store will carry leeks, but your larger, full-service stores will. Leeks come in a big bunch like celery, but they have the appearance of large green onions. Leeks also taste a lot like onions, and they’re a great substitution for those who can’t eat onions due to allergies or intolerances.
What Kind of Wine Goes Well With This Soup?
If you’re a wine lover and you enjoy drinking a glass with your meals, then you can rest assured that there are two different types that experts recommend. However, everyone is different, so if you happen to drink a type of wine with this soup that isn’t recommended, as long as you enjoy it, that’s all that matters.
Experts recommend pairing magic leek soup with white or red wine. You can experiment with the different brands and flavors so you can find which wine (s) you enjoy best.
Despite the fact that magic leek soup originated as a starvation diet tactic, that doesn’t mean that the soup isn’t delicious and absolutely “magical.” This soup can be eaten with your favorite sandwich, biscuit or side salad, for lunch or dinner, which will flood your taste buds with flavor and your body with nutrients.
So, don’t delay any longer, as you must make this soup as soon as you get the opportunity, and chances are you will love it so much that you will wish you had made it sooner.
