Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. This soup began with organic leeks and potatoes from our vegetable box, a couple of cloves of garlic and a good vegetable stock. The secret is a generous amount of butter: gently cooking the leeks in it gives the finished soup a wonderful richness, without a drop of cream.
It’s thick, velvety and comforting, and it makes the most of what is already in the vegetable drawer.
Recipe at a glance
- Serves: 4–6
- Prep: 10–15 minutes
- Cook: about 40 minutes
- Diet: Vegetarian; vegan with plant-based butter
Ingredients
- 500g (about 1.1lb) leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
- 500g (about 1.1lb) potatoes, cut into chunks
- 75–100g (about ⅓–just under ½ US cup) butter, or good-quality vegan butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 litre (about 4¼ US cups) good-quality vegetable stock
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt, only if needed
Method
- Prepare the vegetables. Wash the leeks carefully to remove any grit and slice them. Cut the potatoes into even chunks. Thin-skinned organic potatoes can be left unpeeled if you prefer.
- Soften the leeks in butter. Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Add the leeks and cook gently for 10–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until very tender but not browned. They should almost simmer in the butter.
- Add the garlic. Stir in the garlic and cook gently for another minute.
- Add stock, then potatoes. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the potatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer. Cook for around 25 minutes, until the potatoes are completely soft.
- Blitz. Take the pan off the heat and blend carefully with a stick blender until thick and silky. Add a little extra hot stock or water if needed.
- Season. Grind in black pepper and taste before adding any salt; a good stock may provide all you need.
Why it works without cream
The potatoes give the soup its lovely creamy body when blended, while the generous butter brings richness and flavour. There’s no need for milk or cream. The important thing is not to rush the leeks: let them soften slowly without colouring.
Make it vegan
Replace the dairy butter with the same amount of a rich-tasting plant-based butter, and check that your stock is vegan. No plant-based cream is necessary.
Keeping leftovers
Cool promptly, refrigerate in a covered container and eat within three days. It also freezes well. Reheat until piping hot, thinning with a splash of stock or water if needed.
Before you shop
Look in your vegetable drawer for leeks and potatoes, then check the fridge for butter and the cupboard for vegetable stock. You may already have everything you need. Serve with crusty bread and butter for a simple, satisfying lunch or supper.
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