Leek & Potato Soup with Devon Blue Cheese

Leek & Potato Soup with Devon Blue Cheese

By Head Chef Tony Carr.

This is a rich, creamy and warming soup, perfect for this time of year. It makes a lovely lunch with some crusty bread, or a starter for a dinner party. In the pub, we serve it with our homemade cheese straws!

To make enough soup for six people:

Ingredients

• 4 leeks - outer leaf removed, sliced lengthways and chopped into 2cm pieces and thoroughly washed
• 2 white onions - peeled, root removed and diced
• 3 sticks of celery chopped into 2cm pieces and washed
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 125, unsalted butter
• 4 small potatoes - (Marfonas are best) peeled and washed and roughly diced into 2cm cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 125ml double cream

Method

1. Melt the butter in a suitably sized saucepan.
2. Add the leeks, onions, celery and garlic and sweat all together over a medium heat until softened but not coloured.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. After 6-8 minutes, add 3 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the diced potatoes, bring back to the boil and then allow to a simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and puré in a liquidise or pass through a sieve.
7. Return to the saucepan and bring back to the boil.
8. Add 125ml of double cream and check the seasoning.
9. Serve with Devon Blue cheese crumbled liberally on top!