Creamy potato and leek soup

Creamy soups and cool winter evenings are a match made in heaven. So, if you’re on the hunt for one of the best soups to warm up with as these chilly nights continue, why not dip into this hearty potato and leek recipe?

With a very budget-friendly ingredient list and fairly straightforward method, there’s no mucking around when it comes to this soup. You can have the dish served up in under an hour to hungry guests or just for yourself if you’re looking to enjoy a little winter treat!

Ingredients

• 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil, plus extra for croutons and to serve
• 1 brown onion, halved, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 4 medium (about 700g) desiree potatoes, or pontiac potatoes, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 leeks, pale section only, washed, dried, thinly sliced
• 1.25L (5 cups) vegetable liquid stock
• 125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream
• 3 thick slices day-old white bread, crusts removed, cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Method

1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion softens. Add potato and leek. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until leek softens.
2. Add stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Gently boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potato is soft. Remove from heat. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200C. Place bread in roasting pan. Drizzle with remaining oil. Toss until bread is evenly coated. Toast in preheated oven, shaking pan occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until crisp. Remove croutons from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
4. Transfer 1/3 of potato mixture to jug of blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to clean saucepan. Repeat in 2 batches with remaining potato mixture.
5. Place soup over medium heat. Stir in cream to combine. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until hot. Season with salt to taste. Ladle into serving bowls. Top with croutons, a drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately.