Dished Up: Leek And Potato Soup

Being a mum of three young children one luxury I indulge in is grocery delivery. Mr Tesco's arrives at my door with my weekly shop and all I have to do is put it away. Mostly this is a wonder but occasionally things don't quite go to plan. A few weeks ago I ordered 3 leeks, or so I thought. Turns out I had actually ordered 3 packs of leeks, just a couple more than I needed! Whoops. So what better to do in the bleak mid winter than whip up some tasty soup. I made leek and potato and crumpled some crispy bacon on top but the recipe can be adapted for any vegetables you have hanging around which I usually do after Christmas. 


What you need......
  • Veg oil
  • Knob of butter
  • 500g leeks
  • 1 medium potato
  • 1.5 litre hot vegetable stock
  • 100ml double cream (optional)
  • 3 rashers streaky bacon
How to make it.....
  1. Half the leek lengthways and slice it thickly. Wash it thoroughly and shake off the water. Peel the potato and and cut it in to 1cm cubes.
  2. Put the butter and 1tbsp of oil in a medium pan with a lid and place it over a low heat until the butter has melted. For the record the oil is to stop burning and the butter is for flavour.
  3. Throw in the leeks and give them a stir then put the lid on. You want to soften the leeks like this, they will sweat in their own juices. It will take about 10 minutes and all you have to do is stir them every couple of minutes just to make sure they don't burn.
  4. Take off the lid and add the potato stirring for one minute then add 1 litre of the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile put the bacon in a dry frying pan over a high heat. Cook it until it's really crispy. Cool it on some kitchen towel and then crumble it.
  6. When the potato is really soft turn off the heat and use a stick blender to purée the soup. Season well with salt and lots of black pepper. If the soup is too thick then add in some more stock and if you're feeling indulgent stir through 100ml double cream to serve.
  7. Share it between the bowl and sprinkle the bacon on top. Serve it with some of you favourite bread.
You can make this recipe with any root veg. Chop and soften an onion and then add 500g of whatever you've got (except potatoes). Add the stock and simmer until the veg is soft. If you're brave you might want to throw in some spices when the onion is soft then add the veg when it becomes fragrant. 

Play around with it. Sometimes it will be delicious, other time it may not be such a success but it's better then throwing away your veg and if you make it without the butter and cream it's a great healthy lunch to start the new year with.
Cassie xx


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