Even though the weather has finally brightened up, after what seems like the longest winter ever, I have developed a real hankering for soup over the last few days. And so when I had a surplus of potatoes and leeks, it seemed only sensible to make some leek and potato soup. I have made leek and potato soup many times before, but most recipes call for a lot of butter and ideally some double cream. This time I wanted to make it dairy-free though, so that my partner could enjoy some as well. I also added some ham, which changed the nature of it somewhat, but only for the better in my view. This recipe made enough for 4 very generous portions, and I managed to put two of them in the freezer to take to work for my packed lunch, which I was really pleased with.
lngredients (serves 4)
2 potatoes; peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
2 leeks; finely sliced
1 apple; peeled and finely chopped
1 onion; peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stick; peeled and finely chopped
1 gammon steak (approx 150g)
750ml chicken stock
olive oil or lard; approximately 2 tbsp
Method
Heat some olive oil or lard (I used lard) in a large saucepan and then add the onion, celery and leek. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until the onion has become soft and translucent. Stir in the potato and apple and add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Lay the gammon steak on the top, put the lid on the pan, lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 30 minutes. Take the gammon out after 20 minutes and shred it, before returning it to the simmering pan for the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
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