To bleach or not to bleach, that is the question. Removing the skin from vegetables before eating them or when cooking them is a habit we often have because of taste or fear of ingesting pesticides. However, for many vegetables the vitamins are found in the skin and therefore can be interesting to eat at a nutritional level.
According to Raphael Gruman, nutritionist and author of I am being treated with Mesonutrients (ed. Leduc.s), it is the skin and the part of the flesh located below the surface of fresh vegetables that are the richest in vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, fiber and antioxidants. He believes that to get the most out of it, you can certainly eat some raw vegetables with their skins on, like cucumbers, but also mix them into smoothies, gazpacho or soups. With the return of the cold, soup is the fall dish par excellence.
The skin of tomatoes can complicate digestion
So should you keep or remove the skin from your vegetables before making soup? In fact, it all depends on the vegetables. This is, for example, rather it is recommended to eat the skin of the tomatoes as it contains a high level of arginine, an anti-inflammatory flavonoid. It’s also rich in vitamin C and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red color.
Be careful though, the compounds in the tomato skin and its acidity can irritate the lining of your digestive tract. “In particular because of the cellulose it contains, a large molecule that is difficult to break down, the skin of tomatoes can complicate digestion” clarifies Valerie Mary-Mandeville, a dietitian and nutritionist interviewed by Medisite.
Among the main soups we find carrot. Valérie Méry-Mandeville clarifies that when it comes to organic carrots, “no it is not always necessary to whiten thembecause their culture uses less pesticides, but they still need to be washed well”. Indeed, “the soil that covers them can contain bacteria, such as listeria”, warns the nutritionist.
If they are new carrots, you should “buy them organic and just peel them because their skin is even richer in vitamins than other carrots. That makes them very interesting to eat,” advises Valerie Mary-Mandeville. As for another essential queen of our soups, potatoes, according to the nutritionist, “are treated with 15 to 20 pesticides before they arrive on our plate.”
Potato skins may contain toxic natural molecules (solanine and chaconine, editor’s note), especially at the level of the green spots that sometimes present
In addition to pesticides, “ potato skins may contain toxic natural molecules (solanine and chaconine, editor’s note), especially at the level of the green spots that it sometimes presents, “clarifies Valerie Mary-Mandeville. Conversely, the skin of the eggplant is also rich in fiber and contains many antioxidants. Therefore, it is advisable not to peel it to get the most out of its benefits.
Our expert Eduard Audino, a professional chef for 20 years, also assures us that “all that is energy and vitamins is in the skin of the vegetable“. According to him, “it is precisely in the skin of tomatoes and carrots that there are the most vitamins”. “It is the same with turnips, there are many vegetables thatwe bleach when we can very well keep the skin to make soups”, he confides to Medisite. The chef assures “at worst, if it’s not stirred enough, you just need to pass the soup through a sieve if you want something very fine and remove the roughness for a smooth soup”.
Avoid turnip tops, which are too strong in flavor
According to Edward Audino, if you can also eat turnip skin, like that of carrots, it is better not to put its tops, but rich in vitamins A, in your soup. It’s not a health risk, but a taste issue because “it’s a very strong product.” “However, we can use the tops by frying them or dry them by using them as a seasoning,” to season a dish containing carrot tops without the bitterness problem, you can put them in your soup.
In effect, “whether it’s organic or not, it is it is important to clean the vegetables well”. Indeed, if you want to eat them without peeling them, provided you have rinsed them well and brushed them under cool water. According to him, almost any vegetable can be eaten with soup rind, even pumpkin. “If you make pumpkin soup, you can cut it into small pieces and put it in water with the skin, whether it’s pumpkin or pumpkin, you can eat,” says the chef.
He also advises yes eat pumpkin seeds which are rich in magnesium, iron and have a recognized diuretic effect, which makes them very useful for the urinary system, transfer them to the pan to dry them. This allows you to add a “crunchy side” and serve them on top of your soup instead of croutons for example.
Regarding his favorite vegetables for a nice winter soup, the chef advises “turnips, carrots, cabbage, potatoes.” According to him, all “earthly vegetables are suitable for the winter”. With the starch “the potato will bind the soup”. Leeks and onions also add “spiciness” to your cooking. Regarding the preparation of leeks, you just need to remove the first two or three leaves. He advises keeping only the white of the leek for your soup because it’s rich in flavor, but leaving the green more for a bouquet garnish.
A peeler rather than a knife to preserve the vitamins
If you choose to peel a vegetable before cooking it and making it into a soup, nutritionist Valerie Mary-Mandeville also offers tips on how to properly peel your vegetables.
“To peel food, choose a peeler, not a knife. Thus, the peeling will be quite thin and we will keep most of the vitamins. located just under the skin.