Super Greens Leek and Potato Soup

Super Greens Leek & Potato Soup

This hearty soup is a great way to get a load of greens in. I use a range of whatever greens are in season. Our favorites include curly kale and kale negro (black kale), Swiss chard, beet greens, as well as spinach and bok choy.

I don’t tend to give Finn raw greens (or raw cruciferous vegetables). This is because of the impact they can potentially have on the thyroid, by blocking the body’s ability to absorb iodine, which every cell in the body needs, but especially the thyroid. Those with Down syndrome are prone to hypothyroidism. The general advice is that those with pre-existing hypothyroidism may find excessive consumption of raw greens and cruciferous veggies further suppresses thyroid activity, but I err on the side of caution. Finn’s also not keen on them raw anyway.

I tend to add greens at the end of cooking things like soup, stew or curry, so they’re only lightly cooked and retain their flavour, nutrients and brilliant colour. I always serve greens (and all veggies) with a good fat source. As well as for added flavour, many of the vitamins and micronutrients in vegetables (and fruit) are fat-soluble, which means they can’t be absorbed without the presence of adequate fat. This means when fruits or veggies are eaten without fat we’re only absorbing a fraction of the nutrients we would if they were eaten with fat. Our fats of choice here are grass-fed butter and grass-fed ghee. In this recipe I’ve used home-rendered, outdoor-bred lard (which has the added bonus of being high in vitamin D). Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E and K - all vital to health and development.

Leafy greens are rich in many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Notably, vitamin K, A and C. They also contain high levels of antioxidants, such as lutein and beta-carotene, which support eye health and also reduce the risk of diseases caused by oxidative stress (especially helpful for those with Down syndrome, who experience greater levels of oxidative stress than the ‘general’ population). They’re also rich in manganese and folate (which plays a key role in red blood cell production), potassium, calcium, riboflavin and fiber.

Finn’s a potato man, so thanks to enough of these in the recipe and the rich bone broth base, he’ll eat bowls of this rich, green soup all year round.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of fat (ghee is better than butter for cooking, or coconut oil or lard work well)

3 large leeks (dirt and tough ends removed. Roughly chopped)

1kg potatoes (peeled weight), chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped

1/2 head of a large cabbage, chopped (I prefer Savoy for cooking - the darker green, crinkly one)

500g mixed greens (kale, chard, spinach, broccoli greens etc.) Roughly chopped. Tough stems removed.

1 handful fresh parsley (finely chopped)

1.5 litres bone broth (beef or chicken work well. Recipe here.)

Salt & pepper to taste (Himalayan or sea salt)

Instructions

Warm fat in a large pan. Add onion, garlic and leek. Fry for a few minutes, to soften - until onion begins to go opaque.

Add potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer for around 10 minutes - until the potatoes are soft.

Add cabbage and cook for a few minutes to soften.

Add the rest of the greens and simmer for a couple of minutes only - just enough time to lightly cook them and bring out their colour.

Remove from the heat and roughly blend the soup with a stick blender (I use a Bamix). Don’t blend it fully - just pulse a few times to break it up.

Add a handful of chopped parsley, reserving some to sprinkle over the top when serving.

Taste and add black pepper. You probably won’t need to add salt because of the stock, but do so according to your taste.

Serve topped with plenty of fresh, chopped parsley.

Great served with slices of buckwheat bread and grass-fed butter.