An old recipe for rabbit stew begins, “First catch your rabbit.” A vegetarian equivalent for leek soup might be, “First take a leek.” This could have been the title of my vegetarian cookbook. The cunning pun is appropriate to the winter as it evokes the function of the organs of the Water Element, namely the bladder and kidneys.
Leeks are a warming food and provide an aromatic undertone for a winter soup. Other warming ingredients are the black beans, coriander, pumpkin, red pepper and curry paste. This soup brings all five flavours as well as the five colours into the pot. Tamari brings the salty flavour, lime juice provides the sour, celery leaves are bitter, the pumpkin, carrot, potatoes, sweet potato and red pepper offer sweetness, and the curry paste’s pungent flavour completes the set.
Ingredients
1.5 litres of filtered water
2 leeks including tops
200g butternut pumpkin
300g potatoes
200g sweet potato
1 fennel bulb (cut out the hard base)
1 large carrot
2 sticks of celery with leaves
Extra celery leaf tops
Half a red bell pepper, finely sliced
Handful of coriander, chopped
200ml coconut cream
400 g can of black beans, drained
1 tbsp tamari or to taste
2-3 tsp green curry paste
Juice of a lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: add the hot foods of garlic and ginger to really increase the warmth
Method
• First take the leeks, cut off the green tops, place tops in a large stockpot and add the water. Boil for 30 minutes, then mash. Remove the tops, straining the liquid from the mash. Discard the leek tops to the compost.
• Finely slice the white parts of the leeks. Chop the pumpkin, potatoes, sweet potato, fennel, carrot and celery into 1-2 cm pieces (finely slice the celery leaves). Place in the pot, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Take half of the vegetables, puree in a blender and return to the pot.
• Add the red pepper, coriander, coconut cream, black beans, tamari, curry paste, lime juice, salt and pepper
• Add extra water for required consistency
• Cook for a further 30 minutes
• Serve alone or with Japanese soba noodles, crusty bread or crackers
Enjoy!
I’ll be back in August when we in the southern hemisphere will be in the spring energy of the Wood Element. There, we’ll look at foods to support the organs of liver and gall bladder.
