I love this soup, it’s rich, smooth and velvety. This on its own or with some bread on the side is a lovely meal in itself or serve it as a starter for a Wintery dinner party.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 25g (1oz) butter
- 300g (12ozs) 2 medium leeks, dark green tops removed, white bits thinly slices
- 200g (6ozs) potato, peeled and chopped (2 potatoes)
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 1¾ pints (1 litre) light chicken or vegetable stock
- 75ml (3fl ozs) single cream
- 100-150g* (4 – 6ozs) crumbled blue cheese like Cashel Blue, Stilton, Roquefort depending on how strong the cheese is
- Garnish
- 25g (1oz) blue cheese for sprinkling on at the end
Method
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leeks, potatoes and bay leaves.
- Season with salt and pepper and cover with a butter wrapper or a piece of greaseproof paper.
- Place the lid on the saucepan and sweat the vegetables on a low heat for 10 minutes stirring every now and then to make sure it’s not burning.
- After 10 minutes add the stock, increase the heat and simmer for another 8-10 minutes until the potatoes and leeks are soft.
- Remove the bay leaves, add the cream and the crumbled blue cheese and liquidise the soup until smooth and velvety.
- Taste and season if necessary.
- When ready to serve, pour the soup into warm bowls and sprinkle with the extra crumbled blue cheese.
*If making this soup with a strong blue cheese like Roquefort or Gorgonzola, I only add 100g (4ozs) but if you are using a milder blue cheese like Cashel Blue you might need 125g or 150g (4-5ozs).