Winter Cold: Try Cock-a-Leekie Soup

With Winter not easing up at all this February in Toronto, it is nice to have a tasty soup to warm up with.  This recipe is fairly easy and does not require blending like most of other recipes that I have shared.  It serves 4 hearty portions and takes about 45 minutes including prep time.  Per Wikipedia this soup is French in origins, but it has also been called "Scotland's National Soup."  I can confirm it is both tasty and not that hard to make.   Hope you enjoy.

Cock-a-Leekie Soup

Cock-a-Leekie- Soup
Ingredients:
	2 TBSP of Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil
	2 Cups (500ml) Sliced Leeks (white and light green parts)                     Which is Approx 2 Medium Leeks
	2 Boneless Chicken Breasts, Cubed in 1/2 Inch Pieces
	6 Cups (1.5L) Sodium Reduced Chicken Stock
	3/4 Cup (175ml) Long Grain Rice
	1 Strip of Lemon Peel (1/2 cm wide and about 5cm long)
	1 Dried Bay Leaf
	TT Salt
	1/2 TSP Pepper
	1/4 Cup (63ml) Chopped Fresh Parsley
Steps:
	1) Cut bottom end off of leek and top of leeks after the light green parts.  Discard bottom and top. Cut leaks in half to split open.  Rinse leeks in hot water to ensure sand/soil is removed from inside and let drain in a colander.
	2) Slice leeks into large strips about 1cm wide and 4 cm long. Measure 2 cups.
	3) In a stock pot or large saucepan heat oil over medium heat.  Add Leeks and cook for 5 minutes.
	4) Add cubed chicken pieces and continue to fry about 4 minutes or until the chicken is no longer visibly pink.
	5) Add chicken stock, rice, lemon peel, and bay leaf; bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook 25 minutes and until rice is tender.
	6) Fish out bay leaf and lemon peel discard (use tongs or a slotted spoon).  Season with salt to taste and pepper.  Add parsley and serve.
Soup will last up to 3 days in the fridge, although the rice will lose its consistency and expand. It is best to serve and eat after preparing.

Ingredients for Cock-a-Leekie Soup

Step 3: Sauteing Leeks on Medium-High Heat

Step 4: Add Chicken and Fry for 5 Minutes

Step 5: Add Chicken Stock, Rice, Lemon Peel and Bay Leaf

 Step 5: Almost Finished Cooking 

Cock-a-Leekie Soup with Garnish of Parsley

Additions and Suggestions:

• Unlike a lot of soups I have prepared in which I have suggested various garnishes often sour cream, shredded cheese or home made bacon bits, I have no suggestions for this soup. 

What I've learned in making this soup:

• Leeks have a more subtle taste than onions and they are part of the same family of plants that include both garlic and onions.  They are great boiled into soups or fried in butter/oil as part of a stir fry.  It is best to eat the white parts and light green parts.
• Leeks are a good source of many vitamins including vitamin A, B6, Folate. K and minerals including manganese and iron.  Leeks have been eating by people since at least the second millennium BCE including by Egyptians and Mesopotamians.
• When preparing leeks it is best to cut off the bottom and top just where it stops being at the light green and to thoroughly rinse in a colander to get the sand/dirt out.  
• When cutting the peel of a lemon it is best to use a fresh lemon that is scrubbed and to use a sharp paring knife.  

Have a favorite soup for Winter?  Have an addition to this recipe?  Please share it below. 

Black Bean and Vegetable Soup

Winter has us in its icy grips and in order to please Mrs. Shopaholic and her ever cold feet I often make soup. This soup if full of vegetables and is both nutritious and delicious.  This soup is an excellent source of dietary fiber, vegetable protein, vitamins A, C, folate, calcium and other minerals.

Black Bean and Vegetable Soup

This recipe takes about 45 minutes to prepare and serves 6 adult portions.  You can garnish it up with a dollop of sour cream.

Black Bean and Vegetable Soup
Combine in a stock pot:
	1 TBSP of Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil
	2 Celery Stalks, diced
	2 Medium Carrots, diced
	1 Medium Onion, diced
	2 Cloves Garlic, minced
	1/2 TSP Ground, Cumin
	1 Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
	1/2 TSP Salt
	1/4 TSP Pepper
Ingredients for Step 2:
	2 Cans Black Beans (19oz/540ml), drained and rinsed
	2 Cups (500ml) Sodium Reduced Chicken Stock
	4 Cups (1 L) Water
Ingredients to Finish Soup:
	1 Green Onion, diced
	1/4 Cup Fresh Coriander (loosely packed), chopped
Steps:
	1) In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium high heat with celery, onions and seasonings.  Stirring often about 6 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
	2) Add Black beans, chicken stock and water and bring to a boil.
	3) Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid.  Cook vegetables until tender about 20 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.
	4) Using an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth or use a blender and perform in batches.  Simmer soup until needed.
	5) Prior to serving soup add green onion and coriander.  Stir soup to mix in.  Serve hot and with a dollup of sour cream (if desired).
Soup will last up to 3 days in the fridge.  When reheating consider adding more water to get to desired thickness.  Soup will thicken overtime.

Ingredients for Black Bean and Vegetable Soup

Step 1: Frying the Vegetables and Seasonings

Step 2: Add Beans, Stock and Water, and bringing the Soup to a boil

Step 4: After Blending the Soup

The Finished Soup

Additions and Substitutions:

• For spicier soup add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper.  
• For those who don't like Coriander (aka Cilantro) omit it from the recipe. 

Fun Facts that I learned while 'wiki-ing' some of the ingredients for this recipe:

• Black Beans are also known as Black Turtle Beans and are commonly used in Latin American cooking.  Further there are 6 common sub-varieties: Black Magic, Blackhawk, Domino, Nighthank, Valentine and Zorro.
• Coriander is also known as Cilantro and Spanish Parsley. Approximately, 1 in 10 people have an allergic response to it.  For those who have the allergy the side effects could as limited as horrible taste in ones mouth, swelling tongue and gums, itching throat to abdominal cramping, bloating, vomiting or diarrhea. It is a genetic pre-disposition and if you are allergic to coriander you are also allergic to birch tree pollen.  I could not find an article that I would recommend on the subject from Google.  
• Onions need not be stored in a fridge.  Just a dark, dry and cool place.  However, onions stored in the fridge will release less sulfenic acids, which turn into a gas and irritates the eyes.  Also, cutting onions routinely will reduce the eye irritation.  Another alternative to reduce eye irritation and the smell is too light a candle near the cutting board.

Carrot and Dill Soup

This is a great and healthy soup and is perfect on a cold day.  It takes about 15 minutes of prep time to cut the vegetables and 45 minutes of cooking.  This soup can also be made well ahead and reheated for when your guests arrive.  This recipe makes 8 portions and leftovers will easily keep in the fridge for several days.

Carrot & Dill Soup

Carrot & Dill Soup
Combine ingredients in medium bowl.
	2 TBSP of Butter or Olive Oil
	3 Celery Stalks Chopped
	2 Medium Onions Chopped
	2 Garlic Cloves Minced
	1/2 TSP Salt
	1/2 TSP Pepper
Other Ingredients:
	1 1/2 Lbs of Chopped Carrots (5 Cups approx)
	2L or 8 Cups of Sodium Reduced Chicken Stock 1/4 Cup Fresh Dill Chopped
Steps:
	1) In a large stock pot or Dutch Oven, heat butter/oil over medium heat with celery, onions and seasonings.  Stirring often about 5 minutes.
	2) Add Chopped carrots and cook for 4 minutes stirring occasionally.
	3) Add stock and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook carrots until tender about 35 minutes.
	4) Using an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth or use a blender and perform in batches.
	5) Add dill to soup and mix through.  Serve.
Simmer soup until needed.
Soup will last up to 3 days in the fridge. When reheating consider adding more water to get to desired thickness. Soup will thicken overtime.

Garnishes:

• Serve with a dollup of sour cream.
• Alternatively, with sprinkle of old cheddar cheese.

Ingredients for Carrot & Dill Soup

Step 1: Frying Onions, Celery and Seasonings in a Stock Pot

Step 2: Adding and Frying the Carrots

Step 3: Boiling the Soup

The Finished Product

What I've learned in making this soup:

• For tips on blending soups see my previous blog on White Cannellini Bean Soup.
• Dried dill does not have the same character as fresh.  However, you could substitute 1/4 cup fresh Dill for 1 TBSP of dried Dill. 

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?  Please add them below.