Leek and potato soup

A lovely warm winter soup for a cold winter evening! This is absolutely lovely and you would be surprised at how little effort it requires. Google this and you'll find recipes that call for double cream. I like to make it using semi-skimmed (2%) milk and on the rare occasions when I buy it, maybe finish off with a table spoon of single cream. Served with bread it makes for a wholesome supper.

2 large leeks, chopped

4 medium potatoes
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 litre vegetable stock (or dissolve a stock cube in 1 litre of water)
1/2 cup milk
Freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste

Make sure you clean the leeks very well as they can sometimes contain a lot of trapped dirt.

• Melt the butter along with the olive oil in a pan. Add the chopped leeks and allow it soften over a low flame.
• Meanwhile peel and roughly chop the potatoes. When the leeks have softened nicely, add the potatoes and saute for a minute. 
• Add the vegetable stock, cover and simmer over a slow flame until the potatoes are tender and fully cooked.
• Remove from heat and blend to a smooth puree.
• Pour it back into the pan, add the milk, season with salt and pepper and simmer for further 10 minutes or till it starts to bubble slightly. 
• Finish off with a touch of cream before serving.

Serves 3-4