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White bean and leek soup with garlic breadcrumbs recipe

White bean and leek soup with garlic breadcrumbs recipe

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Try this comforting white bean and leek soup that's packed with vegetables. Ready in just 30 minutes, it's a quick winter warmer to enjoy for lunch with crusty bread. See method

  • Serves 4
  • 30 mins
  • 303 calories / serving
  • Freezable
  • Healthy
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Dairy-free

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 leek, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • ¼ tsp crushed chillies (optional)
  • 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 vegetable stock pot, made up to 1 ltr
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ sweetheart cabbage, roughly shredded
  • 125g baby spinach

For the lemon and garlic breadcrumbs

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
  • 5g fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 slices brown bread, blitzed into crumbs (60g)
  • ½ lemon, zested
If you don't have any leeks, try using spring or white onions instead

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    1270kj
    303kcal     15%

  • Fat

    15g 21%

  • Saturates

    2g 12%

  • Sugars

    7g 7%

  • Salt

    1.7g 29%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 28.6g Protein 13.2g Fibre 10.5g

Method

  1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep saucepan over a medium-low heat and fry the leek, celery and garlic for 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
  2. Add the thyme and crushed chillies (if using), fry for 1 min more, then add the cannellini beans and 100ml water. With a hand blender (or a potato masher), purée or mash two-thirds of the mix until smooth. Add the hot vegetable stock and bay leaf, then simmer for 10 mins.
  3. Meanwhile, make the lemon and garlic breadcrumbs. Warm the oil and the whole garlic cloves in a small frying pan over a low heat for 5 mins until the garlic is golden and soft and the oil is fragrant. Add the thyme leaves and breadcrumbs; season. Fry, stirring continuously, for 3-5 mins until golden and crisp. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Thinly slice the garlic, then stir back into the breadcrumbs along with the lemon zest.
  4. Add the cabbage to the soup pan and cook for 4 mins. Stir in the spinach and simmer for 2 mins more, or until the spinach has wilted and the cabbage is tender. Spoon into bowls, discarding the bay leaf, then scatter with the crispy breadcrumbs to serve.

See more Soup recipes

Freezing and defrosting disclaimer

In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.

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