LEEK, POTATO AND THEN SOME SOUP

Some soups are just never going to die. Tomato, minestrone, mushroom, they are all classics that are always going to be loved for century's to come. One other such classic is the leek and potato soup. A winter warmer that is always going to put a smile on your face during the cold latter part of the year. That doesn't mean it needs to be boring and to prove it, here is my version which adds in a few little extras to elevate this humble dish is to something a little bit more special. 

What you have here is essentially a winter veg soup. It came around as I was initially making a leek and potato soup but as I had some other veg lying around so I decided to throw it all in so it didn't go to waste and this recipe was born. With that in mind, it's a totally adaptable recipe however your carrots, leeks, onions and potatoes should always go in if your looking for that thick winter soup vibe. They are what make the base of the soup and give it all that body and the garlic and thyme provides a little oomph to the life everything up a notch

The rest of the veg is really up to you however the mix of parsnips and artichokes that I used work really well together with the leek and potato so I highly suggest you give my recipe below a whirl. You can leave either of these out of you wish or replace them with something else. How about a bit of squash or pumpkin for a more autumnal feel or even some celeriac with your feeling especially fancy dancy. Experiment with what you have around and you might create or own special soup recipe.

Stock! Vegetable stock will course work best in this soup and the better the quality of stock you use the better your soup will taste. I've used 600ml and this gives you quite I thick soup which I think you need on a cold chilly evening. If you do like your soup to be a little looser then you can blitz the soup for longer and add a bit more stock to the mix just to make it a bit more thinner.

Recipe time. This is a recipe that's great for making in advance and freezing if you have the space. It'll last you for days! Otherwise you should have enough to serve 4-6 people depending on how hungry they are;

Leek And Potato Soup

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

2 Peeled And Diced Carrots

2 Peeled And Diced Parsnips

1 Large Chopped Red Onion

2 Small Chopped Leeks

2 Grated Garlic Cloves

2 Large Baking Potatoes Cut Into Cubes

1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves

4 Chopped Charred Artichokes

600ml Vegetable Stock

Salt And Pepper To Season

1. Begin by placing a large pan on a high heat with the oil before adding in the carrot, parsnip. onion, leeks and garlic. Give everything a good mix together until the onions just start to soften and then place a lid on the pan and leave for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the carrots and parsnips are tender and the onion and leeks are soft and starting to brown.
2. Add in the potatoes, thyme and artichokes and give everything another good mix. Pour in the stock and add insome water so that the liquid is just above all the vegetables if needed.
3. Season with salt and pepper and then bring to the boil before reducing to a simmer for ten minutes until the potatoes are soft enough to slip a knife through them.
4. Remove from the heat and then blitz the soup with a hand blender or food processor until at the desired consistency. Be careful whilst doing this as the soup will be super hot.

 Whilst the soup is still super piping hot, get it spooned straight into bowls! You can also chop a few chives and parsley leaves to sprinkle over the top to serve as a little final fancy flourish if you wish or you can just get it straight into your bowls and dig in. Please make sure you have some big buttered slices of warm crusty bread to mop up every last drop as you once you have your first spoonful, you will not want to leave any of this hearty soup in your bowl. An instant comfort food classic, this is definitely a most delicious leek and potato soup......and then some!