There are occasions when I open the fridge and realise that I should have gone shopping…today was one of those days! But the weather has been pretty rubbish and I didn’t fancy going out, so I decided to cobble something together with what we had. What we had turned out to be a couple of leeks, some potatoes, some mushrooms and a bit of bacon, which could only mean one thing: SOUP! You could make this without the bacon for the traditional potato and leek soup and it would be great – either way, it tastes even better with a bit of homemade bread.

Ingredients

2 leeks, chopped
5 rashers of streaky bacon, cut into medium-sized pieces (optional)
8 small/medium-sized potatoes, chopped (I left the skins on, but peel if you prefer)
700ml boiling water
1 vegetable stock cube (I used a heaped tablespoon of Bouillon)
A teaspoon of mixed herbs
Black pepper
A small handful of mushrooms, chopped

Method

1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large pan and add the leeks (and bacon if your wish). Leave to cook for a few minutes before adding the potatoes.

2. Add the stock cube to the boiling water and stir well before pouring into the pan. Add the mixed herbs and pepper and stir well, before leaving to simmer for a few minutes (I didn’t add salt because the Bouillon is quite salty, but you could add some if you wish).

3. Add the mushrooms and stir again, cover the pan and leave to simmer for around 15 minutes (or until the potatoes are soft).

4. Blend a little before serving if you prefer, or leave chunky. Serve with some freshly made bread and enjoy!

The post Potato and leek soup (with optional bacon!) appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.