Leek Soup with Sausage and Potatoes

It is not too cold outside. But it was a strange day. I had so many things to say, but I did not. Sometimes it is too late to say a word. But anyway, I was a kind of sad and wanted to prepare something to warm me up from the inside, a healthy, filling meal. Celebration of life, joy of the little things. Soup prepared with simple ingredients, but with love and affection. Tasty and satisfying. It turned out absolutely delicious. Here is the recipe:

Nettles pesto with fried eggs

The first nettles is already on the market - fresh and green. I love to prepare nettles and I am not afraid of its stinging properties, so I do not use rubber gloves to handle it. It is said, nettles is good for the health because it cleans blood. I do not know whether this is true, but anyway, one of the first things I prepare every spring is nettles puree with fried or poached eggs above. It is so good to feel spring with all your senses.

Spinach Soup with Leek and Feta cheese

With spring approaching I start to think more often about green colored dishes on my table. Spinach is always a good choice according to me - it has light taste and low calories value. I cook spinach very often. It is good as a part of dips, roasted dishes and soups. 

This is one of my favorite vegetable soups - it is light, with low amount of calories, which makes it good at the end of the winter overeating period.

Pork and leek stew (Kavarma)

If you sit in a restaurant in Bulgaria and ask for something typical for the country, Kavarma will be most probably one of the dishes offered. It is a rustic stew for meat lovers which pairs soft pork and leek. 

Leek and tomato salad

This is a rich and tasty salad, one of our favorites for winter. It is created for the cold months when all the fresh tomatoes have bland and undeveloped taste, but you miss the sweetness of good ripe tomatoes. The oniony taste of leek is by far slighter than the one of onion and garlic, despite they all belong to same family of vegetables and the velvety texture of the chopped canned tomatoes adds softness to the dish. The salad brings summer colors to the table - bright green and white of the leek meets red vibrant color of good quality canned tomatoes. 
My mother-in-law prepares it when she wants to please her hubby. So do I.

A little health info: With its high fiber content and low calories amount leek is a good part of a healthy diet plan. Eating fresh leek reduces the risk of cancer, stroke, heart disease and many other health problems. It supports the healthy digestion. 
Canned tomatoes are more beneficial than the fresh ones because they contain more lycopene - carotenoid responsible for the red color of tomatoes which helps to decrease the risk of hearth disease.   
But the taste of the salad does not need additional reasons to enjoy this simple salad - it is a spicy salad for those who like the heat even into cold dishes.

Vichyssoise (Leek and potato soup)

Vichyssoise is a thick soup, prepared from the white parts of leek, potatoes and heavy cream. If you call it a French soup, it will be a mistake, although you have to twist your tongue in a really French manner to pronounce its name. The soup was created in the kitchen of Ritz-Carlton in New York in the beginning of the 20-th century. By a french cook. But still american creation.
Originally is was intended to be served cold in the hot summer days in order to provide some relief from the heat, but it is very tasty and warming served hot. 
The most refined member of the onion family provides the soup with delicate sweetness.
Creamy and velvety in texture, vichyssoise has a tender and delicate taste, so you can enjoy it even for lunch in a busy day without worrying about your breath. You can play with the amounts of heavy cream you add and you can substitute apples for potatoes if you want to make it lighter and fruitier.

The flavour of the soup is even better the next day, so you can prepare it a day or two in advance and store it in the fridge. 

Cold Leek Soup with Sauerkraut Juice

One of the very popular winter appetizers in my country is called Army soup.
I don't know whats is the origin of the name, but it is most probably related to the fact, that this is an inexpensive, easy to prepare and simple dish. It is a cold soup and there is no boiling required. Sauerkraut juice, leeks and hot dry peppers are the main ingredients. Army soup has the reputation of one of the best hangover treatments, but I have never tasted these abilities. Sauerkraut prepared in Bulgaria differs a lot from the one from the any Central or Northern European country, which has sweet notes and is very finely shredded and very soft. Cabbage heads in Bulgaria are not sliced before fermentation which yields a harder product with definite structure which remains even after slicing. Sauerkraut and its juice have very typical taste - not only sour, but also tart and sharp.  
Sauerkraut and leek make a perfect match and the addition of roasted dried chillies gives the final touches of this dish. Lacto-fermented foods help boost metabolism, so this soup is good  for the people who want to loose some pounds. Spooning army soup in a company of glass of grape brandy is a  good idea for the winter evenings. 

Leek and Tomato soup

This is something between a soup and stew. It is a simple and rustic soup and my mother-in-law prepares it when she wants to recall memories from her childhood. Her mother made it before and the mother of her mother. There is nothing sophisticated in the ingredients or preparation, but it is rich and flavourful and we love it home. The key and surprising ingredient is milk which makes the dish lighter and supports butter into the melting-in-the mouth feeling.