CREAMY LEEK SOUP

Strictly speaking this should be called ‘Three Allium Soup’, but since the leek is the biggest of all three it wins the title!

I absolutely adore soup – combined with homemade crusty bread, maybe some cheese and a few sprinkly, garnishy things and I’m in heaven. The past few days have seen winter come galloping in at an alarming rate, and this is the perfect excuse to stock up on lovely, comforting soups. My freezer always has a few varieties, which is a godsend for no-prep lunches, and those evenings I’m just too tired to cook.

This is an easy peasy soup to make, it takes very little time, and freezes beautifully. It uses courgette to give a silkiness most commonly provided by potatoes in soups like this – so, it’s a great option if watching your calories. As always, it’s totally customizable, so play around with whatever veggies you have to hand and have fun.

Recipe (Serves 4)

1 Tbs flavourless oil

1 onion

4 leeks

3 cloves of garlic

2 sticks of celery

1 courgette

800ml stock (I used vegan chicken flavour)

1/2 can full fat coconut milk

1.5 tsp all purpose seasoning

squeeze of lemon juice

salt and pepper

• Finely chop all the veggies and sautee them in the oil. Don’t add the garlic just yet, as it may end up bitter if it catches.
• Once the veggies are softened add the garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.
• Add the stock, seasoning and simmer for around 15 mins, then add the coconut milk and let that heat up. Be careful not to let the soup go into a rolling boil as the coconut milk may split. It won’t affect the taste of the soup, but it looks a bit grotty.
• Whizz everything up in a jug blender or use a stick blender – both work well.
• Taste, add the salt and pepper according to your preference, and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the dish.