Leek & potato soup with smoked cheese & chives

Leek & potato soup with smoked cheese & chives

Winter

What is it that constitutes simple? I never know. In my experience even the simplest things can be complex. For example, take a small piece of driftwood that’s been washed up on the beach. It’s a fairly ordinary thing and plain enough to look at, but at one stage it was a part of a living tree; a plant that has evolved over millions of years, that feeds on sunlight, produces oxygen and is able to communicate with other plants through an intricate lattice of mycelium into which its roots connect. The simplicity of the naked form is skin deep. Underneath it is more complex and beautiful than we can possibly imagine.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • about 1 litre (35fl oz) vegetable (or chicken) stock
  • 3 floury white potatoes (about 350g/12oz), peeled and cut into 1–2cm (½–¾in) cubes
  • 3 medium–large leeks, trimmed and sliced into 1cm (½in) thick rounds
  • 25g (1oz) butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 shallots or 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 or 3 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
  • 100ml (3½fl oz) double cream
  • 50g (1¾oz) smoked Cheddar or goat’s cheese, grated, plus extra for serving (optional)
  • 1 small bunch of chives, finely chopped, plus a few left whole to serve (optional)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Bring the stock to the boil in a large heavy-based pan. Add a third of the potato, bring the stock back to the simmer and cook, uncovered, for 6–8 minutes, or until the cubes of potato are just tender. Add a third of the leeks and cook for 3 minutes to soften, then drain the vegetables through a colander set over a large bowl to catch the stock. Return the pan to a medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil and, when bubbling, add the shallots or onion, the garlic and the thyme leaves. Cook, stirring regularly, for 4–5 minutes, then add the remaining leeks and potato to the pan and season well with salt and pepper. Cook gently, stirring regularly, for 3–4 minutes, then add the hot stock and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.

Cook the soup for about 15 minutes, until the leeks and the potatoes are lovely and tender. Remove the pan from the heat and purée the soup until smooth and creamy. I find that a jug blender is the best tool for this job.

Return the soup to the pan. Add the cooked leeks and potatoes you prepared earlier, along with the cream, grated cheese and chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper, then put the pan back on the heat and bring gently back to a simmer. Stir well, remove from the heat, and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving in bowls, seasoned with pepper and sprinkled with extra cheese and a few whole chives, if you like.

Back to Membership