- 45 minutes
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 30 minutes
- Serves 4
Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 leeks (about 600g), trimmed, halved lengthways, washed and sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 500g floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- 1.2 litres hot vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt, then more to taste
- Half a teaspoon black pepper
- To serve: 10g fresh chives, finely snipped
- To serve: 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Let's cook
- Heat the oil in a large pan on a low to medium heat. Add the leeks, onion and a pinch of the salt.
- Put the lid on and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the leeks are very soft but not brown. This slow start, called sweating, gives the soup its sweet taste.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, stock, bay leaf, the rest of the salt and the pepper.
- Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, partly covered, for 18 to 20 minutes until the potatoes break apart when pressed with a spoon.
- Take out the bay leaf. Blend the soup until smooth with a stick blender, or let it cool for a few minutes and blend it in batches in a jug blender with the lid held down under a tea towel, as hot liquid can push the lid off.
- Taste and add more salt if needed. If it is too thick, stir in a splash of hot water.
- Ladle into warm bowls, scatter over the chives and drizzle each with a little olive oil.
Tips
- Floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward make the smoothest, creamiest soup.
- Use the pale and light green parts of the leeks. The dark tops are tough, but they are good for making stock.
- Do not blend the soup for too long in a jug blender, or the potato can turn gluey.
Swaps
- Creamier: stir in 100ml single cream at the end. This adds milk and the soup is no longer vegan.
- Chunky: blend only half the soup and stir it back into the rest.
Tags
In Autumn comfort, Plant powered.
None of the 14 allergens is in this recipe as written. Vegetable stock cubes can contain celery, wheat (gluten) or soya, so check the packet.
Check every packet for allergens.