Dill (Sabseege) Soup
It was a cold winter evening, with no one for company, was getting bored. Wanted to have something hot and spicy, may be soup. I like mushroom soup, but didn’t have any, but found a bunch of dill leaves in the refrigerator .… Tried out soup with white sauce and it tasted great. It is a big hit as a starter for lunch and dinner, and our guests love it. It is simple, easy, healthy and delicious.
Category : Indian Dish
Ingredients
Dill leaves : 1 cup upper, tender part
Onion: 1/2 finely diced
Milk : 2 glasses ( or more as desired)
Maida/wheat flour : 1-2 tbsp (depending on consistency needed)
Butter/Oil : 1-2 tsp
Salt and pepper : to taste
Method
Coarsely cut dill leaves and cook it in microwave with a cup of water till the leaves are well cooked and soft (it can also be cooked on stove with water). Cool it.
In a thick bottomed vessel, heat butter/oil, add diced onion and saute till it turns golden. Add the flour and saute, turn off heat, let it cool a bit (so that it doesn’t form clumps). Add a cup of water and dissolve the flour.
Grind the dill leaves with sufficient water and add to the onion-flour mix, turn on the heat. Add milk and mix well and bring it to boil. Add salt and pepper and serve hot. You could adjust the consistency with water/milk.
Preparation time : 20 min
Variations
Mushroom palak soup : Saute diced button mushrooms separately (i freeze this). After sautéing onion add a handful, diced palak and cook a bit, then add mushroom. Rest of the process as above
Peas Soup : Cook/blanch or microwave a cup of tender, fresh peas with water and make a puree. Add it like the dill paste and follow above process.
Information
Vegan Option : milk can be replaced with coconut or almond milk
Gluten free : Very Low (gluten from low quantity of maida is insignificant)
Keto diet : As it is low on carbs, it is keto diet friendly
Calories
1 bowl equals 276 cal approximately
Nutritive Value
Dill is a versatile herb and one of the most nutrient dense, low-calorie foods. Dill is rich in Vit A and Vit C, fiber, folic acid, calcium, riboflavin, manganese, and iron. A 100-gram serving of fresh, raw dill provides about 43 calories, 3.5 grams of protein and just over 1 gram of fat.
One full cup of whole milk has 149 calories and about 7.9 g fat and 7.7 g protein. It is a good source of vitamin D.
Dill seeds are high in calcium, with each tablespoon providing an equivalent of 1/3 cup of milk.
Health Benefits
Dilla means soothing in Norwegian.
Dill is rich in a variety of plant compounds that may have numerous benefits for health, including protection against heart disease and certain forms of cancer. Additionally, dill may help lower blood sugar levels, but more human studies are needed. Dill is a home remedy for gas and bloating.
Origin
Dill (Anethum graveolens) is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae and the only species in this genus and is related to parsley and celery. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean region, western Asia, southern Russia and Western Africa. It is a staple in the cuisines of Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, North Africa and Russia.
Water Footprint (is litres of water needed to produce the food)
NA. 250-290 L/Kg for greens like spinach, lettuce
Tips :
Dill leaves can be frozen or dried for long term usage. Freezing preserves the flavour better than drying.
DID YOU KNOW:
When mincing, preserve the flavor of dill by snipping it with scissors rather than chopping it with a knife.
Dill could trigger an allergic response. Also, pregnant and breastfeeding women are recommended to avoid dill pills or extracts.
Dioscorides, a Greek doctor and surgeon, wrote that scorched dill seeds were applied to the wounds of soldiers to promote healing, a practice that was also shared by the Romans.
There’s an old wives’ tale that says hanging dill over the entrance to a house or a babies’ cradles is symbol of love and acts as a protection against evil.
Tea brewed from dill leaves and seeds was believed in many cultures and eras to have the ability to take away a witch’s powers. In the 1627 play “Nymphidia” by Michael Drayton, dill is mentioned in the following lines: “Therewith her Vervain and her Dill, That hindereth Witches of their Will.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dill#uses
https://www.verywellfit.com/dill-benefits-side-effects-and-preparations-4243918
https://foodprint.org/real-food/dill/
https://www.theayurvedaexperience.com/blog/bloating-home-remedy/