22 January, 2014
Magical Leek Soup
I read a book by Mireille Guiliano some years ago, annoyingly titled ‘French Women Don’t Get Fat’. The book focused entirely on how French women manage to look good and stay healthy whilst enjoying a diet rich in bread, cheese, wine, steak, chocolate and other good things.
I couldn’t help but think about this book throughout my recent Parisian food adventure. Yes, I savoured every bit of the deliciousness on offer but indulging in Paris for more than 5 days is a dangerous thought.
One of the healthy ‘French secrets’ shared in the book that stuck in my mind all these years is a recipe for the ‘Magical Leek Soup’. Leek soup is the French way to detox and ‘recast’ the body over a 2-day fast after a period of indulgence. The fast ends on Day 2 evening with a small portion of meat/fish, 2 vegetables and fruit. Leeks are flavourful and a natural diuretic which is why they are excellent for detoxification.
I enjoy the delicate flavour of leeks but not enough to commit myself to 2 days on leek broth. A day seemed do-able and I was curious enough so decided to have a go.
The broth tasted very much like herbal tea and I enjoyed sipping it every 2 hours. My lunch was leeks with olive oil and lemon juice. As much as I like leeks, I much preferred the broth and happily drank it for the rest of the day. Yes, I was hungry by the end of it but surprisingly not as grumpy as I expected. I felt better and lighter after giving my body a break.
A day living on magical leek soup wasn’t so painful and I have just bought myself some more leeks for another round. Here’s the recipe if you want to have a go!
Magical Leek Soup
(Adapted from Mireille Guiliano’s ‘French Women Don’t Get Fat’ http://frenchwomendontgetfat.com)
Ingredients
500g trimmed leeks (only need the white and pale green bits of the leeks)
6 cups water
Method
- Cut up the leeks in and boil them in a pot of water for 20-30 minutes until soft.
- Drink the broth every 2-3 hours.
- If you are hungry, eat the leeks with lemon juice, olive oil and very little salt/pepper.
Bon Appetit! 😉
One thought on : Magical Leek Soup
I must try!