Warming leek soup with feta and chilli

Doug Sherring

When you can see your breath in the air it is about time for a good soup. We absolutely love leek and potato soup — our version has a little kick to it with mustard and chilli added — which brings a nice subtle warmth to the soup.

There is also the option of stirring through crumbled feta to add a delicious salty richness; you can of course leave this out if you want to keep it dairy-free. Feel free to play around if you are feeling confident, add more chilli, crumble some crispy bacon at the end, have fun with it. Serves 6 as an entree or 4 as a main.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp	Olive oil
2	Leeks, sliced thinly (Main)
1	Carrot, diced
2	Celery stalks, diced
4 sprigs	Fresh thyme
1	Bay leaf
4 cups	Vegetable stock
4 cloves	Garlic, chopped finely
2	Potatoes, large
1 Tbsp	Mustard
2 tsp	Chilli flakes
¼ cup	Feta, optional
4 servings	Croutons, optional
4 sprinkles	Fresh parsley, to garnish, optional

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot, add leeks and season with salt. Cook leeks for about five minutes or until tender. Add carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaf and cook for a further five minutes.
2. In another saucepan, bring stock up to a gentle simmer.
3. Add the garlic and potatoes to veges and cook for two minutes. Then add the hot stock, bringing to a boil and cooking for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are cooked though.
4. Remove thyme and bay leaf and pour contents into a food processor or blender.
5. Blend until your preferred smoothness, then return to pot. Stir through mustard, chilli and feta (leave this out if you want to keep the soup dairy free). Season. To serve, sprinkle over feta, some crunchy croutons and chopped parsley, or enjoy as-is.