RECIPE: Leek and Potato Soup

So last week I finally made leek and potato soup for the first time. With leeks being in season in February I thought it was a good time and it tasted yum on some of those cold wintery nights. It was very easy to make and I used the recipe from the ‘Eat Seasonally’ website. 

Leek and Potato Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

·         1kg (2¼lb) potatoes

·         500g (1lb 2oz) leeks

·         1 large onion, chopped

·     1.5 litres (2¾ pints) vegetable stock, or water and 2 tsp Marmite

·         50g (1¾oz) margarine or butter

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to make it:

1.      Peel the potatoes, but leave whole. Wash the leeks thoroughly and cut into shreds. Put the prepared potatoes, chopped leeks, onion, and stock (or water with Marmite) in a large pan. Season lightly. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

2.      Using a slotted spoon, lift the potatoes out of the pan and mash with the margarine or butter. Return the mashed potatoes to the pan, stir thoroughly, and simmer for a further 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the soup gets too thick, simply add a little extra water to thin down to the required consistency. Taste and re-season with salt, if necessary. Ladle into warm bowls. Add a good grinding of black pepper to each.

Some tips:

Keep the seasoning simple and it will taste great. Don’t over-complicate it with different flavours. 

Make sure you mash the potatoes up will, you don’t want to have lumps in the soup.

Leeks are a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C, helping to keep colds at bay which are prone in the winter. They contain iron and fibre too.

I hope you get to make some soon, let me know how it comes out. Happy healthy cooking!

A H Nutritionist

March 20th 2012 15:00