Recipe - Leek, Potato and Bacon Soup

~by Emi

With all the rain that seems to be dampening everyone's spirits, it seems like the perfect time to share a really uber yummy soup recipe!

Not only is it really filling, it's bloody delicious and uses up the seasonal vegetables that we get in our weekly veg box (courtesy of a local grocers).

To make this soup for yourself, you will need the following...

*a pack of bacon (I use smoked because I'm wild like that.)
*1 onion
*2 leeks
*3 or 4 big potatoes
*1.5l vegetable stock
*140mls double cream

First of all, chop up your bacon and onion and fry it up with a knob of butter till the bacon is starting to brown... It will smell divine, and you will probably find yourself picking bits out and eating them.

Next, chop up your potatoes and leeks, throwing them in the pan with the bacon once the bacon is cooked. I was convinced that I didn't like leeks (much to Kendal's dismay when she wanted to make me chicken and leek pie), but it turns out after using them in this recipe, I *DO* like them! Who'da thunk?

At this point, if you have cats, they may well be harassing you for the fat you cut off the bacon. Also at this point, if you're a soft touch like myself, you will give in to the afore-mentioned harassment.

You, Faithful Reader, will notice I have mentioned a cat in every single recipe I've done so far. This may seem pretty odd to you, but I literally CANNOT cook without at least one of our four felines joining me in the kitchen to tell me that they've never been fed *ever*, that they're starving to death and demanding I share with them.

Our resident OAP lady, Harry, especially enjoyed her treat...

After five or so minutes frying everything together, throw in your hot stock and simmer for 20 minutes.

It's worth transferring everything to a BIG pot now, behold my enormous stock pot!

After simmering, use a blender to whizz it up. We have a stick blender and just do it in the pan. Once it's smooth, add the cream, stir it all in and serve with crusty bread and garlic butter.

Your soup won't look as pale as mine, because I put in double the amount of cream by accident. It still tasted immensely wonderful though.

This is only the second time I've ever made this, but it is so easy, so filling and comes recommended by my lovely friend Emma, who ate TWO bowlfuls the first time I made it (compliment indeed!).

You could also add a tin of chickpeas or other pulses to bulk it out, add extra cream or stock, and I have plans to make a variation of this with gammon or maybe left-over roast chicken. I think the basic soup would make a great creamy chicken soup, swapping out the bacon for chicken and adding in mushrooms.

So, get cooking and many warm, toasty wishes to you on this grey day.

Emi, x