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GINGERED LEEK & WATERCRESS SOUP

Cholesterol: Food, Facts and Recipes
by Juliette Kellow & Sara Lewis
This pretty, pale green, speckled soup is delicately flavored with just a hint of ginger. Serve as a light lunch with some multigrain bread topped with cottage cheese or as an appetizer before a dish of broiled or steamed fish.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4


Ingredients
• 2 leeks, about 13 oz in total, slit and well washed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 potato, about 6 oz, cut into small dice
• 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger root, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups watercress
• 2 1/2 cups low-salt vegetable stock
• 1 3/4 cups skim milk ,
• 4 tablespoons lowfat plain yogurt
• pepper


Directions
1. Thickly slice the leeks, keeping the white and green slices separate.

2. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan, add the white sliced leeks, potato, and ginger and fry gently, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until softened but not browned.

3. Add the green leek slices, watercress, stock, and a little pepper and bring the stock to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender and the watercress is still bright green.

4. Puree the mixture in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, then return to the pan. Stir in the milk and reheat the soup.

5. Ladle into bowls, add a tablespoon of yogurt to each and swirl lightly with a spoon.


Nutritional Tip
While it might be tempting to add butter and a swirl of cream for those not on a low-cholesterol diet, it really isn't necessary. Don't let on, and your fellow diners will be none the wiser.

Nutritional values
Kcals160; fat 4.8 g; saturates 1.3g; sugars 10.8g; salt 0.4 g