Potato & Leek Soup

Ingredients:

750g potatoes, peeled
130g carrots, peeled (1 large carrot)
360g leeks (1 large leek or 2 small
65g onion (½ a medium onion
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
3 tsp vegetable stock powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp herb salt
2 tsp dried basil
1600ml water

54g or ½ cup cashew nuts
good handful chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method:

1. Cut the leek lengthwise into two halves, and wash thoroughly under running water to remove all dirt between the layers. Trim away any ends that don’t look too flash, slice the rest (around 1cm wide) and place in a large saucepan.
2. Dice the potatoes (1-2 cm dice), add to the saucepan.
3. Dice the carrots (1cm dice), add to the saucepan.
4. Finely chop the onion and garlic, add to the saucepan, along with the seasonings and water (add everything else except the cashews and parsley).
5. Put the lid on, bring to the boil, and simmer gently for around 20 mins until the vegetables are all tender.
6. Ladle around ¼ of the soup (including the vegetables) into a blender. Add the cashew nuts. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer back to the soup and stir until it starts to bubble, it will thicken slightly.
7. Test the seasoning, add more salt or herb salt if needed. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve. Enjoy