Leek and Potato Soup

This is a traditional Scottish soup. It is very cheap to make, using vegetables grown here. It is very nutritious. It should be thick and creamy. Eat is hot, together with bread or oatcakes.

Ingredients

• butter or margarine
• garlic
• potatoes
• leeks
• carrot
• vegetable stock
• milk
• cream
• pepper and salt

Method

• Vegetable stock is kept after the previous meal. Keep the water you used to boil the vegetables so you can use it in your soup.
• Melt a little butter in a large pan.
• Crush some garlic and chop it finely. Let the garlic fry slowly in the margarine.
• Peel a carrot and chop it finely, add it to the margarine in the pan and let it fry slowly.
• Wash the leeks and chop them finely. Add the leeks to the margarine.
• Increase the heat. Stir all the time. Fry until the leeks start to go soft.
• Peel and wash the potatoes. Slice them thinly. Add them to the pan and allow them to start to fry. Stir all the time or they will stick to the pan.
• When the potatoes start to go soft, add the vegetable stock. Turn up the heat until the water boils. Make sure there is enough water to cover the vegetables.
• When the water boils, turn down the heat. Cook for about twenty minutes over a low heat.
• Use a potato masher to crush the potatoes. The potatoes will break up and make the soup thick.
• When the soup is cooked, add some milk and cream. Turn up the heat to warm the soup, but do not let it boil.
• Add pepper and salt. Check that it tastes good. Eat it hot with bread or oatcakes.