Potato, leek and parsley soup

Serves 4

Sometimes the simplest ingredients make the tastiest soups. This is a bit like a hot, unblended vichyssoise, but served nice and chunky like this it's a perfect winter warmer. All it takes is the kinds of ingredients you probably already have hanging around in the kitchen. At its most basic it's an economical and filling bowlful too, but you can take it a bit further without splashing out and add a few pieces of bacon, or move it on a bit by adding a couple of handfuls of mussels to the hot broth - they'll open in the heat and don't need any more cooking.In the past I've served it with some hot or smoke-roasted salmon - the type called bradan rost - pieces. Use large new potatoes or mids or larger potatoes, but not the very floury ones.

Sometimes the simplest ingredients make the tastiest soups. This is a bit like a hot, unblended vichyssoise, but served nice and chunky like this it's a perfect winter warmer. All it takes is the kinds of ingredients you probably already have hanging around in the kitchen. At its most basic it's an economical and filling bowlful too, but you can take it a bit further without splashing out and add a few pieces of bacon, or move it on a bit by adding a couple of handfuls of mussels to the hot broth - they'll open in the heat and don't need any more cooking.In the past I've served it with some hot or smoke-roasted salmon - the type called bradan rost - pieces. Use large new potatoes or mids or larger potatoes, but not the very floury ones.

2 leeks, trimmed, cut into rough 2cm squares and washed
A good knob of butter
500g waxy potatoes, like charlotte, peeled and cut into rough chunks
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
3tbsp roughly chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan and gently cook the leeks without colouring for 2-3 minutes, with a lid on. Give them a stir every so often to prevent them browning.

Add the potatoes and stock, season and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are just cooked, not falling apart, but still retaining some firmness. Add the parsley and simmer for another 2-3 minutes and serve.