CREAM OF VEGETABLE SOUP

This is a delicious winter warmer and you can vary the vegetables used, add a handful of red or green lentils for more protein and even add any left over cooked vegetables!

2 med sized onions (roughly chopped)

2 medium potatoes (peeled and roughly chopped)

2 large leeks ( I like to cut these lengthways as they are easier to wash. Do include as much of the dark green as you can)

500gms carrots ( peeled and sliced)

½ – 1 head celery ( cut ito pieces and washed, incuding all the leaves as this is where most of the flavour is!)

3 vegetable or chicken stock cubes

1 ltr water

1 small carton fresh cream

15g butter

1 tbsp oil

Method.

1. Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan or pressure cooker.

2. Add the onions and fry until soft but not coloured.

3. Add all the other vegetables and fry for a further 5 minutes.

4. Pour in the water and crumble the stock cubes into the pan.

5. Boil until all the vegetables are soft. Using a pressure cooker saves a lot of time here.

6. Blend using either a hand held blender or a liquidizer.

7. Season to taste and mix in the tub of fresh cream

8. Serve with crusty bread and decorate with a tiny swirl of cream.

Should you be trying to cut down on fat you can mix 3 tbsp dried skimmed milk powder with a little water and mix this to the consistency of cream and add this instead of cream.

This freezes really well and even if it seems to have separated slightly on heating and stirring it will come back to the cosistency of the fresh soup