Chunky Leek & Potato Soup
Introduction
Serves: 8
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
300g (10 oz) middle bacon, derinded and chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
½ cup dry white wine
1 kg (2.2 lb) floury potatoes, peeled and cubed
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 litres (US 4.2 pt / UK 3.5 pt) chicken stock, or water mixed with 1 chicken stock cube
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped parsley
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, optional
Method
1 Use a large knife to cut off the tops of the leeks, then shave off any rough parts and remove coarse leaves. Trim off the roots, and cut each leek in two lengthways, then rinse thoroughly under running water. Slice thinly.
2 Heat oil in a large soup pot over a medium heat. Add bacon, celery, carrots, leeks and garlic and cook for ten minutes, stirring from time to time, until vegetables are showing signs of softening.
3 Pour in the wine, cook a minute or two, and add potatoes. Put a lid on the pot and lower the heat. Cook gently for 20 minutes.
4 Grind on some black pepper and add the stock, salt and thyme if using. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and cook gently, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
5 Cool soup for 10 minutes, then mash half of it with a potato masher or stick blender. Swirl in most of the parsley, taste for salt, adding more if it is bland. Reheat and serve garnished with parsley.
Recipe notes
Don’t stir the potatoes through the soup when you add them because if they fall to the bottom of the pan they can catch and dry out.
If you want to give the soup a greener colour, whizz the parsley with a cup of soup in a liquidizer and swirl through the soup. You can also add a bunch of chopped spinach to the soup, and again, whizz some of it with a cup or two of soup to make a strong green purée to swirl through.