Thursday 6 February 2014

Flageolet Bean, Leek and Watercress Soup

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

BBC Radio 5 Live Kermonde & Mayo Film Review Podcast ~ Kenneth Branagh

I am eating a lot of soup lately and I think I am becoming a little addicted to my noodle soups. But I do try and mix it up a little. lol. Today's recipe is a long time favourite in my kitchen and I find the mix of flageolet, leek and watercress both refreshing and comforting. It's a brothy soup and I like that and because of that fact, it's a light on the tum meal which is a necessity some days. I also like that it is a four ingredient recipe and can be made in minutes and I often make a double batch and freeze a few portions.

Once again the recipe is the creation of the great veggie guru Rose Elliot and it's from the pages of Low Fat, Low Sugar. I have made every recipe in the soup section and this is by far one of the best...and the others are great so that is how good this one is..lol. I find flageolet quite luxurious and feel spoilt when cooking with them. I think them quite beautiful to look at too. ML used to make a risotto with them back in the days when food wasn't an issue. It was a fabulous risotto and I hope to bring it to you very soon as I have managed to source some short grain brown rice. I like the nutritional benefits of watercress but struggle a little with eating it as a sole leafy in salad...I like to have a watercress mix. In this soup it is cooked for the very briefest of time and so therefore it hardly loses any of it's goodness. 

Flageolet, Leek & Watercress Soup

Flageolet, Leek & Watercress Soup   Serves 4
(Recipe from Low Fat, Low Sugar/Elliot)

2 leeks, sliced
425g/15oz tin of flageolet beans, rinsed and drained
600ml/20 fl oz/ 2 1/2 cups veggie stock or water
1 bunch or packet of watercress
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put the leek into a non-stick pan, cover and cook very gently for 7 minutes, until the leek is becoming tender, stirring from time to time. Add the beans to the pan along with the stock/water. Bring to boil then reduce the heat, cover and leave to boil gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the leeks are fully cooked. Put a ladle full of the soup into a food processor or blender with the watercress and whiz to a puree. Return this to the saucepan, stir and season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring back to just below the boiling point and serve...

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Thursday has been a good one...

~Red~ 

NB: This is not my recipe and therefore take no credit for it whatsoever. It is the hard work and creation of Rose Elliot and hers alone. I do thank her for an inspirational cookbook. ~R~