Creamy leek avocado soup is a velvety bowl of goodness. Easy to make and full of flavor, it is vegetarian, gluten free, fiber rich, and with healthy fats!
CREAMY LEEK AVOCADO SOUP
Call it creamy, silky, velvety……whatever you want! But this leek avocado soup will convince the most defiant critic of using healthier food swaps. Some people think that healthy means to compromise a little on taste. But you will absolutely not miss the heavy cream in this creamy soup.
Avocados are such a wonder fruit. So amazingly healthy and enticingly tasty. It is like a vegetable infused butter with a coconut like aftertaste, growing on trees. I have been experimenting with it and creating a lot of interesting recipes. Stay tuned for more to come.
Some awesome avocado based recipes are: Luscious Date Avocado Chocolate Truffles and Spicy Lentil Salad with Avocado. Some other popular creamy soups on the blog are: Persian Cream of Barley Soup, Creamy Mustard Greens and Spinach Soup.
HEALTH BENEFITS – LEEK AVOCADO SOUP
Avocados are a great source of heart healthy monounsaturated fats. This fruit contains natural plant sterols known as beta-sitosterol. Regular consumption of this plant sterol is associated with maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels.
Avocados also contain the phytochemicals lutein and zeaxanthin, which are important for eye health. They are a great source of vitamin K – important for bone health. And this fruit with a smooth texture, is interestingly a good source of dietary fiber, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, certain B vitamins and omega-3 fats.
I love leeks. They are so delicious in soups, stews, vegetable pies and many other dishes. In my younger days in India, I was not familiar with leeks, but took to it so easily when I was first introduced to it. They have a great flavor and taste. If you have not cooked recipes with this vegetable, make sure to try this leek soup.
Leeks belong to the allium family of vegetables that also include onions, garlic, green onions and chives. They are a good source of heart healthy flavonoids and antioxidant polyphenols.
Here is an easy and delicious way of cooking leeks with eggs and tomatoes – Moroccan eggs in tomato sauce recipe.
COOKING TIPS FOR LEEK SOUP WITH AVOCADO
Make sure to not over cook the leeks. That will help retain the nutrients and the bright color.
I used a chicken stock that was mildly spiced with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon etc. The aroma from the spices was faint but it gave a touch of eastern flavor that went well with the other ingredients, such as, cilantro, turmeric and bay leaves. But you can of course spice the chicken stock the way your prefer too.
Leeks have dirt in the inner part of the greens. Cut off the green part from the root end of the leeks and rinse them well in water.
Choose avocados that yield to gentle pressure. You could also peel back the small cap on the top of the avocado. And if it comes off easily and is green underneath, then that is a good avocado.
Photography above: bijansviewfinder.com
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CREAMY LEEK AVOCADO SOUP
Ingredients
Soup
- 4 ½ cups leeks , chopped, (250 g)
- 1 potato , organic, medium, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons cilantro , chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (adjust per taste)
- 1 avocado , large, ripe
Topping (fried onions)
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion , small, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Add the chopped leeks, potato, bay leaves, chicken stock, salt and pepper to a cooking pot. Bring it to a boil and then simmer it for about 10 minutes.
- Add cilantro and simmer couple more minutes. Do not overcook, but make sure that the potato is cooked. Discard the bay leaves.
- Scoop out the avocado flesh and put it in a blender. Use just enough of the soup contents to make a smooth puree with avocado.
- Put the remaining soup with vegetables into the blender and combine it into a creamy consistency. Adjust salt, pepper, lemon juice as per taste.
- For the topping, heat the olive oil and sauté the sliced onion to a crisp brown, add turmeric right before turning off the heat. This will ensure that the turmeric does not get burnt.
- Ladle the creamy leek avocado soup into a serving bowl and top it with crisp onions and turmeric olive oil. Alternatively you may use crisp matchstick potatoes, crunchy roasted chickpeas or croutons as a topping.
Notes
NUTRITION FACTS
Servings: 5 Serving Size: 1 cup Calories 179, Total Fat 8 g (Saturated Fat 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 6 g), Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium* 371 mg, Potassium 646 mg, Phosphorus 97 mg, Total Carbohydrate 24 g, Dietary Fiber 5 g, Sugars 4 g, Protein 4 g * The suggested amount of salt is just a guideline and may need to be adjusted. Check for any added salt in other ingredients and adjust.Nutrition
colleen
Now this is different! The flavors/ingredients sound like this is pretty tasty!
Roxana Begum
Yes Colleen. It is. Thanks.
Roxana Begum
Thanks Colleen.