Potato, leek and watercress soup

Treat yourself to a big bowl of hearty soup this winter – it’ll warm you up like a hug for your insides!

This recipe makes about 5-6 servings. I like to make a big batch on the weekend, and freeze in single serve batches for easy mid-week meals.

Ingredients

• 3 x large leeks, roughly chopped
• 1 x small brown onion, roughly chopped
• 4 x cloves of garlic, diced
• 2 x cups watercress, roughly chopped
• 1 x cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 5 x cups vegetable stock
• 5 x large potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small cubes
• 1 x teaspoon whole black pepper
• Pinch of salt
• 4 x tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 x cup milk (you can substitute with cream if you prefer, but I like to use milk for a lighter soup consistency)

Method

• Add the olive oil, leeks, potatoes, brown onion and garlic to a large pot on a medium heat and cook until the onions soften. Once the onions have softened, add in the parsley and watercress and cook for about 1-2 minutes until they have wilted in the pot.

• Pour the vegetable stock into the pot along with the black pepper and salt, cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are soft.
• Once the potatoes are soft, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if required. Once you’re happy with the seasoning, set aside the soup to cool completely. Once cooled, add the soup (vegetables and all) into a blender or food processor in batches and blend until smooth. Transfer the blended soup batches back into your large pot and repeat with the remaining batches.
• Gently heat the soup in the pot and add in the milk. Stir until combined, and heated through.
• Serve the soup hot with some crusty bread with a drizzle of olive oil.