Pick-Me-Up Smoked Haddock and Leek Soup

Those who follow me on social media will know I have been laid low with a bug (and this is so unusual since WLS) so after a few days of fluids only I am ready for something a little more sustaining – but not too heavy.

This is a beautifully light and delicious soup I’ve made with strong fishy flavours (since I’m aching for something with gusto) and lots of vegetable goodness. It is a main meal soup though so hearty enough to serve for lunch or dinner.

I have used sweetcorn but you can use peas or frozen edamame beans instead if you prefer. Likewise, I have used white potatoes (because I had them to hand) but you could use sweet ones instead.

I think this is also a good soup for the pureed and soft food stage of eating after surgery (what I call the Amber stage) because it can be pureed to a smooth or chunky consistency in a food processor or blender, or simply fork mashed to an acceptable texture for your pouch.

 

PICK-ME-UP SMOKED HADDOCK AND LEEK SOUP

Ingredients

METRIC/US

low-fat cooking spray or mist

3 sticks/stalks celery, finely chopped

400 g/14 oz potatoes, scrubbed or peeled and diced

1 litre/4¼ cups vegetable stock/bouillon

2 bay leaves

2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and sliced into discs

200 g/generous 1 cup canned or frozen sweetcorn

600 g/1¼ lb smoked haddock, skinned and cut into bite-sized chunks

salt and freshly ground black pepper

200 ml/¾ cup fat-free natural yogurt ( I used Yeo Valley 0% Natural Yogurt)

chopped parsley to garnish

 

Method

1.  Generously spritz a large pan with low-fat cooking spray or mist. Heat, add the celery, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
2.  Add the potatoes, stock/bouillon and bay leaves and cook for 10 minutes or until the potato is tender.
3.  Add the leeks, sweetcorn, haddock and salt and pepper to taste. Bring back to a simmer and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked and opaque.
4.  Remove from the heat, remove and discard the bay leaves, and stir in the yogurt. Check and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5.  Serve hot or warm sprinkled with chopped parsley.

 

SERVES 4

WLS PORTION: ¼-½

 

CALORIES PER PORTION: 305

PROTEIN: 37.2 g

CARBOHYDRATE: 33.9 g

FAT: 2.5 g

 

Image courtesy of www.yeovalley.co.uk