Potato and Leek Soup

Happy Friday y'all! Yay it's almost the weekend which means a lot of organising for me about the house as I have been sick with a horrid cold all week and haven't got much done! We are in the process of trying to de-clutter and simplify our home, one room at a time! This is a huge undertaking as we have been filling our house with stuff for the last 4 years, it's about time we did a good clear out. What are your plans for the weekend? Also, who else has SNOW?? We have had quite a bit here in Northern Ireland. I really don't like it, I just don't like the stress it causes but it does look oh so pretty (trying to be positive!). So, to warm us all up in this cold snap i'm sharing with you today my recipe for Potato and Leek Soup. This recipe is a favourite of the husband, along with the Stilton and Parsnip soup. This soup is a staple in Northern Ireland (we love our potatoes) and is the ultimate form of comfort in a bowl. Making my own soup is one of my favourite things to do, especially if i'm making it for other people, it's love in a bowl.

 This recipe makes enough for about 4 really big bowls of soup or 5 normal sized bowls.

Ingredients

2 onions, chopped

150g streaky smoked bacon, chopped

a knob of butter

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

a vegetable/chicken stock cube

3 large potatoes, chopped

4 leeks, washed, trimmed and chopped

250ml double cream

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

Method

1. Fry the bacon and onion in the knob of butter over a medium heat until softened, this should take about 10mins. You can add a pinch of salt at this stage to stop the onions browning.

2. Add the crushed garlic and fry for a further 1 minute.

3. Add the leeks to the pan and soften over a medium heat for about 10mins.

4. Add the stripped thyme leaves and chopped potatoes. Crush in your stock cube.

5. Just cover with boiled water from the kettle and bring to the boil.

6. Turn the heat down and simmer until the potatoes are done, this should take about 25mins.

7. Use a stick blender and blend until very smooth. Don't worry if it's too thick as it will loosen with the cream.

8. Season to perfection and stir in the double cream.

9. Serve up and devour and feel perfectly warmed and comforted from the inside out.

This is a perfectly yummy and comforting soup on it's own but it is also great served with freshly baked wheaten bread or some cheese scones. We served ours with home-made cheese, sage and mustard scones and they were divine (pictured above). You can find the recipe for these on the BBC Good Food website. I just love something to dunk in my soup, there's just something so rustic and comforting about it! Let me know if you give this soup a try, also what are your favourite soups, I would love to know!! Thank you so much for reading,

Rachael xx.