Easily one of the best uses for homegrown veg, or even shop-bought veg for that matter. A comforting classic with few ingredients that work perfectly together. If you make your own chicken stock with a best-quality bird, this soup will be elevated to a level of comfort unparalleled outside of all but the most exclusive hotels, right there in your own home. Of course to keep the recipe vegetarian, use vegetable stock.
A bit of cheese improves almost anything, none more so than this soup. I used a bit of parmesan, good old cheddar is just as good. Try both and see what you prefer. Worcestershire sauce would also be nice, but I prefer in cases like this to just appreciate the flavours of the vegetables and the stock.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 or 3 large potatoes
- 1 large or 2 medium leeks
- 500ml good quality chicken stock.
- A small handful of grated parmesan, around 50g
- Salt, pepper, rapeseed oil.
Instructions
Peel the potatoes and slice into 1cm slices. Soak in cold water to remove the starch and set aside.
Heat some rapeseed oil in a pan, roughly slice up some leeks and add to the hot oil with a pinch of salt. Fry over a medium heat for around 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes to the pan and cook with the leeks for a few minutes.
Pour in the hot stock and stir well, adding some pepper.
Cover and reduce to a simmer for around 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through.
Allow to cool before putting the whole lot into a food processor. Blend for 2-3 minutes to ensure that the mixture is smooth. Check the consistency and add more water to the blender if needed.
Return to the pan, add the cheese and season to taste.
Serve with a grating of cheese and a good few grinds of black pepper.
Notes
Rapeseed oil is good in this dish because it feels more "English" and is nuetrally flavoured. Olive oil has a stronger flavour that will infuse into the soup but will work just as well. Measures are approximate. If you are cooking more, add to the food processor in batches.