Pea, leek and watercress soup with feta

This soup is so tasty and as good for you as it looks! Although we’re coming to the end of soup season, I make an exception when it's this green and vibrant (and in any case, it’s still blood freezing here in Leeds).

 Peas are part of the legume family and aren’t strictly a vegetable. They have an impressive nutrient profile with a protein (5%), fibre (5%), polyphenol antioxidants (gut health, cell repair, and detox), and a range of vitamins: K (wound healing, bone, and muscle density), B1 thiamine (energy levels, nervous system support), manganese (anti-inflammatory, bone health, anti-oxidant), C (immunity), and folate (energy, inflammation). Peas are also a low glycaemic index (GI) food, which is a measure of how fast your blood sugar increases after eating, plus their high fibre context also slows digestion and can help to stabilise blood glucose levels.

 Leeks are also a great source of fibre and prebiotics - undigestible compounds that feed gut microbes. These microbes produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate, reducing gut inflammation, keeping the intestines healthy, and stimulating good gut bacteria to grow. A happy gut reduces the risk of inflammation within the body and, ultimately, the risk of developing chronic disease.

 Watercress is from the brassica family, along with Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale; it was once considered a weed but is very nutrient-dense. It contains a high level of vitamin K and vitamins A and C, with some calcium and manganese. Watercress is understood to contain antioxidants that protect against cell damage by free radicals, which are molecules that cause cell damage or oxidative stress. Higher levels of oxidative stress are associated with inflammation, cell damage, and chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2 leeks, chopped finely

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated

• 700g frozen peas

• 800ml fresh chicken or vegetable stock, or use a Kallo stock cube

• 80g watercress

• A handful of chopped fresh parsley (incl. stalks)

• 1 tsp sea salt

• Juice of half a lemon

• 100g feta, crumbled

Method

• Add a glug of extra virgin olive oil to a large pan and heat gently

• Put in the leeks and fry on a low-med heat for around 5 minutes

• Next, add the garlic and cook for a minute

• Then, put in the peas and pour in the stock

• Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes, then add the watercress and cook for a couple more minutes.

• Finally, add the salt, lemon juice, and parsley, then blitz well with a hand blender.

• Serve with crumbled feta and a crack of black pepper

Classic leek & potato soup

A comforting classic while the weather is still a little chilly and even one the kids will eat! I haven’t messed about with the recipe too much, just a little garlic, parsley, and lemon to build flavour.

Leeks are full of antioxidants, which are molecules that prevent cellular damage from free radicals that either come from the environment, food, or those that are generated naturally in our bodies. Leeks are particularly high in the antioxidant quercetin, a flavonoid compound understood to be anti-inflammatory and may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

Leeks are also a great source of fibre and prebiotics - undigestible compounds that feed gut microbes. These microbes produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate, reducing gut inflammation, keeping the intestines healthy, and stimulating good gut bacteria to grow. A happy gut reduces the risk of inflammation within the body and, ultimately, the risk of developing chronic disease.

Potatoes can also improve gut health if they are cooked and then cooled before being added to the soup, so you would need to boil them the day before, cool, and refrigerate overnight. Your gut will think it’s worth the effort I promise! Let me explain…

When potatoes are cooked and left to cool, they form resistant starch, which acts as fibre in the gut and a prebiotic in the colon. Resistant starch ferments in the colon and feeds the friendly bacteria in the microbiome, improving gut health. The same goes for pasta and rice - they are much healthier if you cook, cool, and reheat. When pasta, rice, and potatoes are eaten straightaway, they are just providing starch, which is quickly broken down in your digestive system to make glucose = sugar.

(Brown rather than white rice and pasta contain more fiber, so it take a bit longer to digest and contain more nutrients).

ingredients

·      600g new potatoes, chopped

·      1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·      20g unsalted butter

·      600g or 3 medium leeks, halved and chopped

·      1 large clove garlic, finely grated

·      1250ml chicken bone broth or veg stock

·      1 handful parsley, chopped

·      Juice ½ lemon

·      ½ tsp sea salt

Method

· Boil the potatoes in a large saucepan for around 10 minutes until cooked through, or the day before, and leave to cool in the fridge overnight if possible.

·      Add the olive oil and butter to a sauté or high-sided frying pan.

·      Add the leeks and fry gently for 10-15 minutes until soft (don’t let them brown), then add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.

·      Drain the potatoes and put back into the large saucepan, along with the leeks, pour over the stock and bring to the boil, simmering for 2-3 minutes.

·      Add the parsley and then blitz with a hand blender; I prefer to leave a rough texture, so I don’t do this for long. Also, the potatoes will get gloopy if you over-blend them as they release too much starch.

·      Add a squeeze of lemon and the salt. Stir and serve with toasted sourdough (I get mine from Leeds Bread Coop – proper sour sourdough!).

Sweet potato & leek risotto with rocket pesto

The great thing about risotto is that it’s good at any time of the year. It can be a hearty warming bowl with fresh bread in the colder months, or a light tasty dish with a crisp green salad in the spring or summer. I’m going for a spring feel here with a parsley and rocket pesto, adding a fresh herby flavour to the risotto. The rocket and lemon give a subtle peppery sharp edge that is balanced with the toasted pine nuts and sweet creamy rice. Tempted? Give it a try!

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 sweet potato, peeled 2cm cubes

• 1 vegetable stock cube (Kallo low salt)

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 2 leeks, halved and sliced thinly

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 300g risotto

• 100ml sherry or 150ml white wine

• 15g finely grated parmesan

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 1 - 1 ½ tsp salt

• 20g pine nuts, toasted

• A handful of rocket leaves, optional

Pesto

• 15g parsley

• 15g rocket

• 10g parmesan

• 40g pinenuts

• Juice of ¼ lemon

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1/8 tsp sea salt

method

• Preheat oven to 200ºc, put the sweet potato on a large baking tray, drizzle with ½ tbsp olive oil, mix well and spread out. Sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 15 minutes and then turn and put back in for a further 10-15 minutes until browned on at least two sides.

• Mash half the sweet potato on the tray while warm and set aside.

• Make the pesto while the sweet potato is roasting: put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to combine into a rough texture, don’t purée!

• Warm the stock, or dissolve 1 stock cube in 1.2 litres of boiling water (see note about stock below).

• Melt a large knob of butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and leeks, frying on a gentle heat for 10-12 minutes.

• Next add the garlic and stir well, allowing it to cook for a minute.

• Then tip in the rice and stir well to coat all the grains, after about a minute it should look slightly translucent at the edges.

• Turn up the heat and pour in the wine or Sherry. Allow the harsh alcohol taste to bubble off, once the rice has absorbed the rest of the wine (about 2 minutes) start adding the warm stock. I usually pour in a ladle full, or about 100ml at a time.

• Next add the mashed sweet potato and keep adding the stock slowly, each time it is absorbed, pour in another ladle, stirring regularly.

• After 10-12 minutes add the sweet potato chunks and continue pouring in the stock for another 8-10 minutes.

• Check the rice is cooked (it should still have a little bite to it) and then stir in the grated parmesan, lemon juice, a knob of butter and the salt.

• Serve with a spoon of pesto, a few pine nuts and a sprinkle of rocket.

Tip

• A note about stock: if I’m using a cube then I double the amount of water recommended on the pack, as I find it dominates the flavour otherwise.

• I don’t always want to open a bottle of wine just for cooking, so I keep a bottle of Sherry or Vermouth in the cupboard to use for risotto. It doesn’t go off like wine, so you can just use a glass as and when you need it.

• To make the risotto vegan, you could use non-dairy butter and add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to replace the parmesan in both the risotto and pesto.

• I use a Microplane or fine grater for the cheese and garlic.