This Week's Soup: leek and potato with sourdough croutons

I'M GOING BACK in time with a new short series that harks back to why I started Phil's Food World in the first place: to encourage and teach people how to cook. At the beginning of the week, I usually make a pot of soup to have a quick, healthy and cost-effective lunch readily available, so I thought I'd turn my trusty soup recipes into a mini-series to share with you. Soup is an ideal place to start for people who might need a little encouragement to cook more often because it's a simple and effective way of creating a tasty meal and building confidence in the kitchen.  

Here, I start with my recipe for leek and potato soup that came out of having a few spuds, a leek and a couple of slices of bread to use up. You can also eat this soup, known also as vichyssoise, chilled, which is utterly delicious.  Give it a go!

Ingredients:

1x small onion, grated

30g unsalted butter

Splash, extra virgin olive oil

2x leeks, finely diced

2x large potatoes such as Maris Piper, cut into cubes

1x garlic clove, grated

100mls full fat milk

300mls vegetable stock

50g grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese (optional)

50mls double cream

2x slices of bread, cut into cubes

Salt and pepper

Method:

• Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy-based pot.  Add the grated onion and leeks and sweat for around 10 minutes until soft.  Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.  It's optional, but if you want to jazz up the presentation, reserve a couple of spoons of this mix before the next step.
• Add the potatoes with a good pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook for three mins, stirring occasionally, then add the milk and stock.  Bring to the boil then turn down to a gentle simmer.
• Cook for around 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft then blend until smooth
• To make the croutons, place the cubes of bread on an oven tray with a drizzle of oil and pinch of salt.  Mix thoroughly and place into a pre-heated (180C) oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly coloured.  This can be done in advance if you have the chance.
• After blending, finish the soup with the cream and cheese, stirring until mixed through. This can be served cold as well as hot. 

Happy cooking!