Total Guilt-Free Soup

Most people find themselves craving soup more in the winter and colder months, but soup can have a place on a year-round menu. Soup is versatile enough to make very diet friendly and allergy free. This soup is perfect for those craving a warm bowl of great flavors, maybe on a rainy colder spring day, but won't weigh down the quest to fit into that bikini. It is totally vegan, yet high in protein and has no pasta, so is great for those avoiding wheat. 

Most recipes have the flexibility to literally trim the fat from the dish through different cooking methods. This soup is no exception as it leaves total discretion and power to the chef to decide how much and which oil to use when sautéing the vegetables before pureeing. No blender, food processor or hand-immersion blender, don't worry - just pick up a hand masher and make a soup Amish style. This will add that magic ingredient of time and care that makes all food taste so much better.

Ingredients for this soup are easy to get and make a large batch of soup suitable for freezing small portions for lunches and eating all week. 

2 sweet potatoes

2 leeks

1 celery heart (including greens)

1 bulb of anise/fennel (reserve some of the green top)

1 can of white kidney beans (or garbonzo)

5 cups vegetable stock

2 garlic cloves

herbs and spices***

Preparation 

Leeks are the most tedious vegetable to prepare in this recipe because they must be properly cleaned. They grow in sandy soil and the sand gets down in between all the layers of the leek. To avoid a gritty soup, cut the tough green tops and the very tip of the base off. Then slice the round leek in half and dice into half moon shapes. Then simply place all the cut leeks in a large bowl filled with water, or the sink filled up with water. With your hands move the leeks around and separate the segments. All the sand will fall to the bottom of the sink and the bowl. Skim leeks from the top and drain the water. 

In a large stock pot with at least a tablespoon of margarine, olive oil or grapeseed oil, start the leeks, diced sweet potatoes (skins on or off) and garlic on medium to medium-high heat. Salt and pepper these base vegetables liberally and stir until the leeks soften. Add one cup of the vegetable stock and keep on medium-high heat. Continue to stir occasionally. The stock will cook down and the vegetables will start to soften more noticeably to form a starchy thick vegetable base. While the soup is working, dice the celery and fennel. For a video of cutting fennel, see this video.

When the cup of stock has mostly reduced, add the celery, fennel and spices to the pot along with the remaining stock. Bring to high heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add drained beans and remove from the heat. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before blending in a blender or food processor. If mashing or using a hand blender, this step can be done as soon as the soup is done. This soup can be kept somewhat rustic and chunky with a quick blend, or pureed and strained to form a smooth vegetable soup. Garnish with a sprig or two of fennel greens and fresh pepper. Some might enjoy some parmesan cheese or coconut cream for extra flavor. As is, though, this soup is full of vitamins, protein, fiber and is a great allergy-free lunch option.

***This soup is pretty basic and can be complimented by just about any herbs and spices. It is nice to reserve some of the leafy fennel tops for finishing the soup. They are pretty and have a sweet licorice flavor. The spice blend for this soup is pretty variable to include corriander, cumin, dried marjoram and thyme and tarragon and celery seed, not to mention white pepper and salt to taste. A good suggestion would be to start with a teaspoon of each of the dry spices (corriander, cumin, marjoram, thyme, tarragon and celery seed). This is by no means set in stone, though. Any one of these can be left out or substituted and it would still leave a great bowl of soup. If the soup still doesn't taste well seasoned to your tastes, increase the amount to 2-3 teaspoons.