Beef, Leek and Pepper Cheese Soup
On cold days you need a soup that really fills you up and warms you through. This beef, leek and pepper cheese soup brings together crisp, colourful vegetables with savoury minced beef and a creamy touch of sour cream and soft goat's cheese. If goat's cheese isn't your thing, simply reach for plain cream cheese instead. A shower of freshly grated Parmesan on top pulls it all together for a lovely, velvety finish.
Ingredients
- 2 leeks
- 1 green pepper
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 2 shallots
- 500 g minced beef
- 1 sour cream, about 200 g; or crème fraîche
- 100 g soft goat's cheese or cream cheese
- 2 tbsp instant vegetable stock
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- Parmesan, freshly grated, to taste
- olive oil, for frying
The ingredient amounts above scale with your choice. The value per serving stays the same, while the total in the pot grows with the number of servings.
All nutrition values side by side
| Nutrient | per serving (estimate) | Total for 4 Servings |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 520 kcal | 2,080 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g | 48 g |
| Protein | 34 g | 136 g |
| Fat | 37 g | 148 g |
| Fibre | 3 g | 12 g |
| of which sugar | 6 g | 24 g |
How this is calculated
Target amount = ingredient amount × target servings ÷ base servings. The result is then rounded for kitchen use: from 100 g or ml to the nearest 5, between 1 and 99 to the nearest 1, pieces and spoons to half units, amounts below one unit to quarters, thirds or halves. Teaspoons and tablespoons also go down to an eighth, kilograms and litres stay finer.
Total = value per serving × target servings. The value per serving is unchanged, because ingredient amount and serving count change by the same factor.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (FIC), Art. 32 and 33: nutrition values per 100 g or 100 ml, additionally allowed per portion.
- European Commission, Guidance document for competent authorities for the control of compliance with EU food law, setting of tolerances for nutrient values declared on a label, December 2012.
Nutrition values are estimates from the recipe record, not laboratory results. Even for checked labels the EU sets tolerances: for fat, protein and carbohydrates 20 percent in the range of 10 to 40 g per 100 g, and 2 g per 100 g below that. Home cooking varies more, because variety, size and cooking loss of the ingredients differ. Kitchen rounding also shifts the total slightly against the plain rule of three. Anyone who has to keep amounts exact for medical reasons, for example during a nutrition therapy prescribed by a doctor, should discuss them with a doctor or a registered dietitian. Your serving count is calculated in your browser only, it is neither stored nor transmitted.
Instructions
- Peel the shallots and cut into fine dice. Heat a non-stick frying pan until hot, then fry the minced beef with the diced shallots until crumbly and lightly crisp. Season with salt and pepper.
- Halve the leeks lengthways and fan out the leaves so you can rinse away any grit thoroughly under running water. Halve again, then cut into small pieces, discarding the dark bottom ends.
- Wash the peppers, remove the cores and seeds, and cut the flesh into small dice.
- Heat a little olive oil in a large pot. Gently sweat the prepared vegetables (leeks and peppers) over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add the browned mince to the vegetables in the pot. Pour in 1 litre of hot water and let everything simmer gently for about 5 to 7 minutes over low heat. Stir in the vegetable stock.
- Turn off the heat. Once the soup has stopped boiling, stir in the sour cream and goat's cheese (or plain cream cheese) until fully combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. For a richer soup, stir in the Parmesan now.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and scatter over freshly grated Parmesan. Serve straight away.
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Nutrition facts per serving (estimate)
| Calories | 520 kcal |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Protein | 34 g |
| Fat | 37 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
| of which sugar | 6 g |
Frequently asked questions
Can I use plain cream cheese instead of goat's cheese?
Yes, plain cream cheese works just as well and gives you a mild, creamy soup.
Is this soup really low carb?
It is lower in carbs than many soups. Skipping pasta, rice or potatoes keeps the carbohydrate count per serving low, at around 12 g.
How do I make the soup creamier?
Grate a little Parmesan straight into the finished soup and stir it through before ladling into bowls.
Can I freeze the soup?
Soups with sour cream and cream cheese don't freeze especially well, as the dairy can split when thawed. It tastes best freshly made.
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