Leek and Potato Soup

Leek and Potato Soup INGREDIENTS For 4 hungry people or 6 smaller servings 3 medium potatoes (about 200g) 3 medium onions chopped finely 3 leeks sliced (some people just use the white bit but if you use the green it will give it more colour) clove) finely chopped or pushed through a garlic press About a litre of chicken stock Some butter to fry everything in (about 50g) Celery stalk (optional) Cream (about 185ml optional) 3 cloves of garlic (or one big

Method Melt the butter gently in a large saucepan then add the chopped leeks, onion, garlic and celery if you're using it. Cover the pan and cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes. You're aiming for the vegetables to be nice and soft - but not browned. Add the chopped potatoes and the stock to the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Let it cool a little. Once you've got the soup pureed to the level you like, now's the time to add cream if you want to. Dish the soup into bowls and swirl the cream direct into the bowl. Throw a few chopped herbs on top plus salt and pepper as liked. Serve with croutons, hunks of baguette or country style French bread and a glass of dry white wine - perfect! Keeps really well in the freezer if you don’t eat it all in one go! Either push the mixture through a colander to break the big pieces down or purée it in a blender. A hand held blender in the pan works well.