Potato and leek soup

This is a good tasty soup but a very easy one to make. You can stick to the basic recipe, or jazz it up a little depending on how much trouble you want to go to.

Potato and Leek Soup with Variations

1 large leek
2 tablespoons oil
3 medium potatoes
1 cup chicken stock (the real thing, or use stock powder)
low fat milk
salt, white pepper
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Slice the leeks, taking care to separate the green ends and rinse off any dirt. This is easily done by cutting the darker ends lengthwise, rinsing them separate then rolling them together again to chop.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the leeks (1) until they soften. Meanwhile dice the potatoes ( scrub them or peel them first). Add to the leeks (2) and saute a further five minutes then add the chicken stock (3). You should just cover the vegetables. Add more if necessary.

Bring to the boil, turn back to a simmer, cover and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Now decide if you want a smooth or chunky soup. Process in a blender or use a wand blender. I use the later and just break the potatoes up a little, still leaving some chunky bits behind.

Add the milk and seasonings (4) and stir in the parsley and simmer again until piping hot.

Serve with french bread or wedges of pizza bread (5).

VARIATIONS:

Try one or two of the additions below:

A teaspoon of good curry powder
Fresh corn kernels
Chunks of smoked fish
Fresh oysters (just reheat - don't overcook)
Peeled prawns
Spinach chiffonade
Sliced mushrooms sauteed in a little butter