I wanted to do my own take on leek and potato soup, an old favourite of mine. That meant finding an alternative to potatoes as they are nightshades and I have to avoid them in my diet. Hmm… leek and potato soup without potatoes, now there’s an interesting quandary. Sweet potatoes wouldn’t work in this instance because they are, well, too sweet and I didn’t want an orange soup. It needed to be something blander, but also a root vegetable to add that starchy thickness and creaminess to the soup. I opted for swede.
Who would have thought that a two-ingredient soup could be so tasty. In fact, it was so creamy too that I didn’t even need to add anything once it was blended (I had considered whether to add dairy free yoghurt at the end, but there was really no need).
So I know this barely constitutes a recipe, but I wanted to share it because of it’s ease. I used chicken stock made from boiling up the carcass of the previous night’s dinner and added a couple of teaspoons of vegetable bouillon, to really bring out the flavour of the vegetables. You can of course use ready made chicken stock or vegetable stock depending on your preference.
I didn’t even add salt to this recipe, as I think it was tasty enough as it was. If you compare it to the high salt, high sugar and added thickener shop bought soups, this is a real winner.
- 1 portion Swede (approx 500g)
- 3 Leeks finely chopped
- 3/4 litre Chicken stock
- 2 tsp vegetable bouillon
- Dice the swede and finely chop the leeks
- Add the chopped vegetables to a large pan and cover with the stock
- Sprinkle in the bouillon powder
- Simmer for around 30 minutes or until the swede has softened
- Blend until smooth
If you have any left over chicken, it makes a great addition to the soup for a complete meal.
Milly
25th March 2017I know I am being silly but a swede which is another name for a rutabaga is not a nightshade right? You say nightshade free but some sources say otherwise. I’m young and react badly to nightshades. I used to be addicted to potatoes 🙁 This looks tasty. If you could confirm it is definitely not a nightshade that would be reassuring for me. Struggling with foods and I need potato free potato recipes asap.
Nicola Young
25th March 2017No, I have never seen swede in a list of nightshades and it certainly works well (if not better) as a substitute for potato in this soup.