Description
This is a really easy soup which can be eaten either hot or cold. Although it uses relatively cheap ingredients, the soup is elegant and flavourful and is not out of place as a first course at a dinner party.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 leeks
- 2 onions (I use white onions to keep the colour of the final soup pale)
- 2 large potatoes (about 500 g or 1 lb)
- 50 g (2 oz) butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 litre (2 pints) good quality stock
- A bunch of fresh chives
- A little double cream (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the leeks, trim off the dark top parts of the leaves and chop the stalks roughly. Peel and chop the onions.
- Heat the butter and the oil in your saucepan. Add the chopped leeks and onions, season them with salt and pepper, and very gently fry them for around 20 minutes until they are soft and sweet. It is really important to add seasoning at this point and to cook gently to bring out the flavour of the vegetables – it will make a huge difference to the taste of your soup.
- Next, peel and chop the potatoes and add them to the saucepan with the leeks and onions. Cook gently for a few minutes.
- Add the stock to your saucepan and simmer the vegetables gently for about 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly before blending.
Notes
This soup can be eaten either hot or cold.