Bowes & Morley ~ Powertripping
Bruce Springsteen ~ Nebraska
Sinatra ~ The Way You Look Tonight
QOTSA ~ Kalopsia
Martina McBride ~ Don't Cost A Dime
Soundgarden ~ Burden In My Hand
Tina Dico ~ He Doesn't Know
Bodyrockers ~ I Like The Way
Glen Campbell ~ Galveston
Jasmine Thompson ~ Wrecking Ball
Calvin Harris ~ Feel So Close
Julia Mcinally ~ Out Of Bounds
Artful Dodger ~ Please Don't Turn Me On
Gretchen Wilson ~ Her Strut
Can you believe its Monday morning again...and we are half way through January already? Oddly, despite that, for me it also feels like forever since the Holidays. Ah well. The weather is deceptive right now...it's brilliantly sunny outside but bloody cold. As the day goes on I end up wearing more and more layers of clothes. lol. Or am I just getting old...hush! Do not answer that. However this temperature is nothing compared to what the folks in the States are having to endure right now...so no real complaints here. And despite the chill factor I am still tucking into my beloved salad bowls but I also appreciate my other all year rounder dish which brings me to today's recipe....
Soups! I can't get enough of homemade soups. And I have made this one many times over the years since my soup conversion. lol. Hard to believe I used to run in fear of soup. Sometimes I just get a craving for a good herby soup and this one never fails. It's from one of my favourite cookbooks Rose Elliot's Low Fat, Low Sugar. Butter Beans are one of my favourite legumes and I have even been known to eat them just on their own. lol. True story...
If you use tinned beans like I did...this soup takes 20 minutes to make. I have used dried and both are beautiful so the choice is yours.
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| Butter Bean and Leek Soup with Thyme |
Butter Bean and Leek Soup with Thyme Serves 4
(Recipe from Low Fat, Low Sugar/Elliot)
250g/9oz/1 1/4 cups dried butter/lima beans or 2 425g/15oz cans
2 leeks, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to serve
Put the beans into a large pan with enough water to cover them by about 2". Bring to the boil, boil for one minute, then remove from heat and leave to stand for one hour.
Add the leeks, onion, garlic, thyme and curry powder. Bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce and simmer gently, covered, until the beans are very tender 1-1.5 hours. Puree the soup and if it is very thick add a little water to get it to the consistency you like. Reheat gently and add salt, pepper and enough of the lemon juice to bring out the flavour. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Or....
In a soup pan sweat the leeks, garlic and onion in a little water until they start to soften. Then add the herbs and spices and cook for 2 minutes. Then add 2 1/4 pints of water and the tinned beans. Bring to the boil and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice and then using a hand blender, blitz for 30 seconds..leaving some of the beans and leeks whole.
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Monday has been a pleasant one...
~Red~
NB: This is not my recipe and I take no credit for it. It is the creative talent of Rose Elliot and I thank her for it. ~R~
