Darina Allen's winter leek & potato soup
Cooking time
Ready in 40-50 minutesSkill level
EasyServings
Serves 6 - 8Of the winter soups, leek and potato is one of the most comforting and familiar - and Darina Allen's makes the most of seasonal, local veg
Nutrition and extra info
Additional info
- Veggie (if you use vegetable stock)
- Vegetarian
Nutrition per serving for six
- kcalories
- 252
- protein
- 5g
- carbs
- 18g
- fat
- 18g
- saturates
- 11g
- fibre
- 3g
- sugar
- 0g
- salt
- 0.7g
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 450g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm pieces (try Golden Wonders or Kerr Pinks)
- 1 small onion, cut the same size as the potatoes
- 450g white parts of leeks, sliced (save the green tops for another soup or stock)
- 850ml-1.2litres/1½-2pts light chicken or vegetable stock
- 142ml carton whipping cream
- 125ml full-fat milk
To finish
- the white part of 1 leek
- a small knob of butter
- finely chopped chives
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Method
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams, add the potatoes, onion and leeks and toss them in the butter until they are well coated. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper and toss again. Put a disc of greaseproof paper (called a cartouche by chefs) on top of the vegetables to keep in the steam), then cover the pan with its lid. Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not coloured.
- Uncover the pan and discard the paper. Pour in 850ml/11⁄2 pints of the stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are just cooked – about 5 minutes. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh flavour.
- Purée in a blender until silky smooth, in batches if necessary, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Return the soup to a clean pan and stir in three quarters of the cream and all of the milk.
- To finish the soup, finely shred the white leek and gently cook it in the hot butter for a few minutes until it is softened but not coloured. Reheat the soup to a gentle simmer (add some extra stock at this point if the soup is too thick for your liking), then pour into warmed bowls. Drizzle the remaining cream over each serving, top with a little pile of buttered leeks and a scattering of chives and black pepper and serve at once.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2003
Comments, questions and tips
Comments
They were right when they said "Easy".... it was so simple to make. It did get a bit scary when I left the cartouche on it... and when I took it off, perhaps I should have given it a stir halfway through the cook time as I had a few bits browned to the bottom of the pan.. otherwise really tasty. Not a soup for the light hearted and small appetite people.. its heavy and very filling.
Possibly the best soup I have ever made. Needed quite a bit of seasoning but end result is delicious. Didn't use milk and accidentally used just under 300ml of double cream (not sure it's healthy now!!) but tastes incredible. Quite easy to do as well. Will definitely make again.
For those that want lumps - just don't blend as much!
I think it's perfect smooth.
I have been making this soup (or one identical to it) for years, it was a classic Delia recipe from her cookery course. It is just gorgeous. I noticed someone complained there were no chunky bits - I too like some body so all I do is remove about a third of the veg before blending, then put it back, silky smooth but with the satisfying depth of a chunky soup!