Who says that vegetables have to be stale and bland? It all comes down to the right kind of ingredients that help to bring out all the delicious flavors packed inside them. Yes, even spinach and beans have the potential to delight your taste buds. This is the entire point of the spinach and leek white bean soup, it is easy to prepare and doesn’t require a lot of soul searching for the right ingredients. Perfect for vegetarians and the meat eaters out there wouldn’t complain either. A win-win for everyone!
Health benefits
- Spinach is incredibly high in insoluble fiber. This promotes the movement of food through your digestive system and increases the stool bulk. It really helps with constipation and individuals struggling with irregular stool.
- Aside from those, spinach is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K1, folic acid, calcium and iron. Together these minerals help with normal cellular function, skin health, immune function, and bring oxygen to the body’s tissues.
- Leek on the other hand is both fat and cholesterol free, it has low amounts of sodium and is highly rich in vitamin A. It also contains decent amounts of vitamin C and folate.
Ingredients
2 tbsp ground cumin
170 grams of whole wheat couscous
340 grams of packed fresh spinach
5 leeks, chopped, bulb only
2 cloves of chopped garlic
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp of olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste
450 g chicken broth (fat free)
450 g cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
How To Make Spinach and Leek White Bean Soup
- Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium settings.
- Add leeks and garlic to the soup pot. Sauté until the mixture is tender for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth, cannellini beans, cumin and bay leaves.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low.
- Add in the couscous. Cover and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add spinach. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve and enjoy!
Trivia
Research published in Cell Press found that spinach helps to make muscles more efficient during a workout. This improves performance because of the increased efficiency of mitochondria.
Spinach has also been known to prevent cancer, and in one study it nearly halved the occurrence of colon tumors from about 58 percent to 32 percent in laboratory animals.